Keep Close
by cryberry
Summary: Kuroko and Aomine get together, after 6 years, on a case to find Kuroko's missing girlfriend who is connected to a dangerous syndicate. Along the way, old feelings and thoughts resurface as they continue their search. People from the past will also unexpectedly join the fray. There are AoKuro BL elements in the story. Rated T for chapters 1 to 4 and Rated M starting chapter 5.
1. Chapter 1 Because of a woman

**-Keep Close-**

**Summary**: Kuroko and Aomine get together on a case to find Kuroko's missing girlfriend who is connected to a dangerous syndicate. Along the way, old feelings and thoughts resurface as they continue their search. People from the past will also unexpectedly join the fray.

**Warning**: There may be some AoKuro bromance here but I don't know if there's enough tension going on given the story's plot. Well, maybe for now.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to the mangaka.

* * *

**-Chapter 1: Because of a woman-**

Kuroko opened his eyes and saw a red-haired woman smile in front of him. He felt the weight of the necklace on his neck with his fingers, tracing the strange carvings on the pendant.

"Do you like it?" she asked, looking expectantly at him from across the table.

He nodded.

She smiled. "Please never take it off, Tetcchan. I'm giving my most important item to you."

He did see her wear the necklace everyday. Maybe it was something that held a lot of memories for her.

Was this a sign for him?

It was his turn to give. Kuroko pushed a small velvet box towards her.

"Uwah. This is so pretty," she said at the sight of a ring. "Put it on me." She stretched out her right hand towards him.

Kuroko ignored her right hand and took hold of her left that was on top of the table.

His face was still expressionless so the woman looked at him with a puzzled expression.

He took the ring from the box and put it on her left ring finger. "Let's get married, Yuki." His eyes looked sincere as he said those words.

It made the woman pull her hands back to look closer at the ring and she smiled. "Wow. I guess that's for the 'happy anniversary' greeting, huh?"

They were now inside his apartment, celebrating their anniversary.

Kuroko and Yuki had been going out for three years now. He was a pre-school teacher while she was a veterinarian. They were actually neighbors on the second floor of the building that Yuki's family owned. She had her clinic on the first floor.

He took Nigou, the dog he found back in high school, to her when it got sick and that's when their relationship started. That was three years ago. Kuroko finally decided that it was high time to settle down and get married.

It was not a matter that was urgent but he did love her. They both lived alone and she was someone who understood him in many ways.

Yuki loved basketball as much as he did. They would sometimes play at the park if they both had time. She was younger by a year but they were almost of the same height. She had a very lively personality most of the time and would always be smiling for him.

Both of them were quiet for a while and just stared at each other.

"Tetcchan, before I answer your question, I think I need to go on a trip first," Yuki said as she sliced the vanilla cake in front of them. She gave him a slice and then helped herself to one.

He did not answer. It was not like her but he understood that it may be important for her. Marrying someone requires thinking about a lot of things after all. But since it was with him, it shouldn't be that hard, right?

"You're a really great guy, Tetcchan. You understand me a lot and don't question my decisions and I appreciate that about you. I hope whatever happens, you would still believe in me."

* * *

Aomine slammed his fist on the table. He was frustrated with the lack of concrete evidence after a month of searching.

He was inside the Tokyo Police Headquarters and was looking through the new information that was gathered about his latest assignment. He was recently transferred to the Black Ring case after a succcessful bust on the drug case he had been working on for months.

_It's one wild chase after another_, he thought.

The Black Ring was a money-laundering syndicate involved in gambling and a lot of shady stuff connected to powerful people in and out of the country. There were also evidence of drugs involved that was why he was assigned to the investigation.

Their current objective, aside from stopping the Ring's activities, was to find the leader. The identity of the leader of the Black Ring had always been a mystery even to most of the members that they were able to interrogate. Most of the deals were handled by the lackeys.

Everything was a mess now. Apparently, the leader had gone missing and there were some factions that were trying to gain control.

He stood up from his seat and stared hard at the picture of a woman with red hair.

She was the key to the leader and the Ring. He needed to get to her first before anything happens.

Sayu... That was the alias of the woman known as the Ring's 'bookkeeper.'

"Aomine-san, here is the address to the match we found on Sayu," Matsuba, his teammate, said. He handed him a piece of paper.

"I'll go. You guys just continue with what you're doing," he said. He took his coat from his chair and left the police station.

* * *

It was already evening when he reached the address.

Aomine stood in front of a closed veterinary clinic. It seemed like it had been closed for a while now. He looked again at the address on the piece of paper that Matsuba handed him.

The address was right. But something felt wrong.

The identity match of Sayu was a woman in her mid-twenties and was a vet. She apparently lived on the second floor of the clinic.

Aomine decided to look on the second floor. He might find some hints as to Sayu's whereabouts.

He noticed that there were two mail boxes on the foot of the stairs on the side of the building. One had a lot of mail and newspapers stuffed on it and the other one seemed empty.

He decided to ring the first door that he came upon. It seemed that someone was in since there was a light that came through the gap at the bottom of the door.

The door opened and revealed a man with light blue hair.

"You..." was the only thing that came out of his lips as the door fully opened. It was the least person he expected to meet on an investigation.

Kuroko's eyes wide with surprise as he saw Aomine. They had not seen each other for many years now. The last time was back when they were high schoolers. It felt like nothing had changed except for their age as Aomine looked at Kuroko.

"Ah, good evening. Kuroko, can I come in?" he asked after he regained his thoughts.

"S-sure."

* * *

Kuroko finished serving Aomine a cup of tea. They were sitting at the kitchen table, facing each other.

It had been many years since he last saw him. He had the same tanned skin and short dark blue hair. What was the reason for this sudden visit now?

Aomine took out a photo from his jacket pocket and put it on the table in front of him.

Kuroko's face twitched as he saw Yuki's face on the photo. She looked more mature in the suit that she was wearing in the picture. She was a vet but she always wore casual clothes.

"Do you know this person?" Aomine asked. His face and tone was serious and meant business.

Kuroko stared at the picture for a long while before answering Aomine.

It had been around three months since Yuki left on her trip. There were no news or messages from her since then. He had tried to call and mail her but it seemed like she just disappeared from his life.

"Yes."

Aomine nodded and took the photo. He carefully put it back inside his jacket pocket.

"I'm looking for a woman named Sayu," Aomine said.

"I don't know anyone named Sayu. The woman I know is Satsuki Yuki." Kuroko fell silent for a while when he realized the characters on the name. He shook his head. "What do you want with her?"

"Do you know where she is?"

"I don't but I can try and help you find out."

"Are you guys just neighbors? Or were you friends with her?"

Kuroko bowed his head. He fidgeted the pendant of the necklace on his neck for a while.

"Kuroko?"

He raised his head and sighed. "She's my girlfriend."

That seemed to have surprised Aomine. Maybe Kuroko did not look like the type to have a relationship since he never did give in to Momoi's advances when they were in middle school and high school.

Kuroko suddenly remembered Momoi. He saw her in a magazine once. She was part-timing as a model while she worked as a coach for a high school basketball team.

"Do you know what she does?"

"She's a vet. She owns the clinic on the first floor. That's all she does."

"Did you notice anything out of the ordinary when you last saw her?" Aomine asked.

Kuroko thought of the last night that he was with her. It was the night of their anniversary and she insisted on packing, saying she would be leaving soon. She disappeared without a single word the next day. She was gone by the time he woke up.

"No."

Aomine handed Kuroko his calling card after he wrote his email address and personal number on it. "Contact me if you find anything out."

Kuroko nodded. He looked at Aomine's card. So he had become a police officer after all. It did not come as a surprise to him.

Seeing Aomine made Kuroko suddenly remember the rest of his teammates from the Generation of Miracles. What were they doing now piqued his interest a bit.

Aomine drank the tea and they remained quiet for a while.

"How are you doing, by the way?" Aomine suddenly asked. His tone was less serious than earlier.

Kuroko drank his own tea first before answering. "I'm fine, considering. I'm a pre-school teacher now."

"Do you have any contact with the others?"

He shook his head. It was more of a chance than choice that he did not hear about the others. Kuroko guessed it was because the path he chose to live was different from the others that they no longer met.

"What about Aomine?"

"Well, I met Kise a few times for drinks. He's a pilot now. I think Murasakibara pursued pastries or something. Midorima, I met at the hospital. He's a doctor and you may have seen Akashi on the news about playing Shogi and stuff."

Kuroko suddenly felt uncomfortable in his seat. So he was the only one who did not know anything about the others. He sighed. It was to be expected given the current life that he was in.

"Don't feel so concerned about them. I'm sure they're living their lives now," Aomine said.

They both heard the doorbell ring. It was for his apartment.

"Kuroko, were you expecting any visitors?"

He looked at Aomine and shook his head. "You're the only unexpected visitor I would like to have tonight."

Aomine stood up and quietly went for the door. Kuroko followed suit. He same Aomine put an ear close to the door to listen to what was on the other side.

The doorbell rang again.

Kuroko held Aomine's arm and pulled him from the door. "It's not polite to keep someone at the door," he said.

Aomine looked dissatisfied but carefully stood behind the door as Kuroko opened it for a bit.

"Good evening. We would like to know if Satsuki-san had left a message for us," the man in a black suit asked Kuroko.

He was with another man in a black suit. The other man was wearing a black bowler hat. Both of the guys looked like they were professional thugs. They looked dangerous.

"Who are you, guys?"

"We're her friends, oniisan," the one with the hat said.

The thugs kind of looked around his age but they still called him 'oniisan.' Their 'politeness' was a bit disgruntling.

"No, she didn't. And I don't remember her being connected to anyone like you."

He was about to close the door when the man firmly held the door with his hand. "Tell me, oniisan, did Satsuki-san ever leave anything for us? Did she leave anything important to you?"

"No."

Kuroko realized now that the more he thought about it, the more he discovered that he knew far too less about Yuki. And it now led him to this sticky situation.

Aomine decided to appear from hiding. He had his badge out and he showed it to the two men outside of the door.

"I would like to ask you guys to leave or you guys will be sleeping in jail tonight," he said.

Kuroko stepped aside. What was with this situation?

The guys decided to step away from the door. They sneered at the sight of the badge on Aomine's hand.

"We'll come by to visit next time, oniisan."

It was after they left that Kuroko felt like he could breathe normally again.

Kuroko was surprised when Aomine pulled him to his bedroom and decided to take out clothes from his closet.

"What are you doing, Aomine?" He held the shirts that Aomine just put on his bed.

"Pack your things. You're coming with me."

"Why?"

Aomine sharply turned to him with an exasperated expression. He looked like he was going to scold Kuroko but then realized what he was doing and made a straight face. "It seems that those guys are dangerous. It's not safe for you to be alone. You need to come with me."

"I don't need to do that. Yuki might come back any moment while I'm away."

Aomine grabbed Kuroko's wrist, the sudden movement prompted Kuroko to lose his balance. He fell straight towards Aomine. He extended his free hand in time. Before he realized it, his hand was on Aomine's chest and they were now looking straight at each other's eyes.

"Don't you get it, you're in danger. Those guys said that they'd come back. I must protect you." His eyes told Kuroko that he was worried.

It was unlike Aomine to show this level of concern for him but Kuroko saw it in his eyes.

Kuroko was the first to avert his gaze. Aomine's firm grip on his wrist hurt a bit.

"Fine. I'll go with you."

* * *

[A/N: Do you find it interesting? Should I continue this? Please give me all your comments and suggestions. I would greatly appreciate them.]


	2. Chapter 2 Together

**-Keep Close-**

**Summary**: After the unexpected meeting, Kuroko and Aomine decided to stay together to find Kuroko's girlfriend.

**Warning**: This is where the bromance will start. ^^, This is my first BL fic so please give me comments if you read this.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. ^_^

* * *

**-Chapter Two: Together-**

Aomine woke up the next morning and thought to himself, _This could be my punishment._

He stared at Kuroko's pale face as he slept while facing him. He looked so peaceful and innocent as if there was nothing to care about in the world.

They were sleeping together on his bed because Kuroko insisted. He had no spare futon and was about to sleep on the sofa, which was smaller than him. Kuroko did volunteer for the sofa since he was smaller and was the one bunking in but Aomine would not hear any of it. So the only option was to agree to Kuroko's proposal of sleeping together since the bed was big enough to accomodate both of them.

Kuroko was right next to him. He was sleeping on his side with his hands loosely clasped together near his face.

Before he realized it, Aomine had already touched Kuroko's light blue hair. He froze when the sleeping Kuroko moaned. He took back his hand, wanting to kick himself for doing something stupid. It was a good thing that Kuroko did not wake up.

He took a look at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it was still six in the morning. It was a Saturday and Kuroko had no class today.

Aomine remained motionless and just stared at Kuroko's face as he continued to sleep. He must be tired because of what happened last night.

How long had it been since he was able to look straight at his face? It had been six or seven years now. It it weren't for basketball, they would not have anything to do with each other.

It was a good thing that Kuroko still pursued basketball after he left their team in middle school. He thought he would never see him again.

Aomine felt a pang of regret. He was not able to hold on to Kuroko. The guy eventually found a new light and they became rivals. It pained him to see that he was no longer the light that shined on him. But he had to show a brave face and pretend that it was not a big deal before.

But things were different now. It was no longer basketball that brought them together but a woman.

Pain spread through his chest with that thought.

A woman.

Of all the things that he had imagined before, he never thought that it would be because of a woman that Kuroko would be with him.

Maybe it was wishful thinking. But Aomine always waited for Kuroko to approach him because he wanted to be close friends or something more and not because of basketball when they were back in middle school. But it never really happened. He was just the light that magnified Kuroko's darkness. That was all it was before.

Sayu. Satsuki Yuki. She was a mysterious woman. She was the bookkeper of the Black Ring while pretending to be a regular vet. How was she able to get so close to Kuroko when he couldn't?

Aomine bit his own lip. He should stop thinking about these things and focus on the mission. He had to find Sayu as soon as possible.

Because of her, the Ring had already put an eye on Kuroko. If she told him something about the Ring, he had to know. He would ask him again later. He would not let Kuroko be in danger just because of that woman.

* * *

Kuroko woke up and found himself alone. He rubbed the sleep off his eyes as he sat on the bed.

He looked around the room and found that it was well-cleaned and tidy. A police uniform was hanging on one part of the room and it made Kuroko think of Aomine wearing it. He would probably look cool on it.

The room was filled with his scent. It was the same as before when they were in middle school. Aomine's scent reminded him of summer and the sea. It was a weird feeling so he just kept it to himself.

He went out of the room and found Aomine putting breakfast on the table. He looked cool with the black apron on his waist.

"You're up," Aomine said.

"Ohayo," he said.

"Sit down and have some breakfast."

He nodded and sat on an empty chair. He watched as Aomine took off his apron and sat on the chair opposite of his.

"Itadakimasu," both of them said at the same time. It made Kuroko stop and look at Aomine who was already holding his rice bowl and eating. It reminded him of how things were back in middle school when they would eat with the team. They would always sit facing each other then.

"Tell me if the miso is salty or not. I can change how it tastes for you next time," Aomine said.

"Thanks." He took a sip of the miso and found that it was delicious. "It tastes good. I did not know that you could cook." He proceeded eating his breakfast. Everything was good. Kuroko thought that Aomine would make a good husband.

Aomine smiled. "I had to learn. I've been living alone since college. I won't last long if I just depended on ramen and take out, will I?"

He nodded. "Same here. Maybe I should cook dinner later as a thank you."

"No need to thank me. It's part of my job."

Hearing that made Kuroko stop. He felt a sudden pang in his chest.

Right. The only reason why he was with Aomine right now was because of Yuki. No one would ever take notice of him since he would always be the low-presence one. His only relevance before was in basketball.

"I'm sorry if I'm a bother to you," he said in a low voice.

Aomine heard what he said. "You're not a bother to me. That's not what I meant. We both want to find your girlfriend so it would just be helpful if we stay together. That way I can also protect you from those guys from last night," Aomine said.

Kuroko nodded and did not say a word after that. He just turned to his breakfast.

He needed to find Yuki soon. He had a lot of questions for her now. It was probably his fault that he was too complacent with their relationship.

Yuki had always been too bright for him. She was always smiling so she was able to hide the rest of herself from him.

It hurt Kuroko to know that there was really no one that he knew well or was really close to. He wanted to know which one was the real identity of the woman he was going out with for three years—the Yuki she knew or the person that Aomine was looking for.

* * *

"Ne, Kuroko, is this the first time that Yuki had been gone for a long time?" Aomine asked. They were sitting in the living room having tea after breakfast.

Kuroko put down his tea cup on the small table in front of him. The expression on his face made Aomine's chest ache. He looked like he was just realizing what kind of person his girlfriend really was. It ate at Aomine that anyone could leave Kuroko just like that. If it were him...

He mentally sighed. He had no right to say anything about the matter. He let Kuroko leave the team back in middle school. It was his arrogance that got the best of him when they were younger. He had also done something that he should have said sorry for. But those apologies were already too late. Kuroko probably already forgot about the past and was already living in the present unlike him.

"She had gone on several trips all on her own from time to time. But it would only be for two days or so. And she would always call or mail me while she was away. This is the first time that she had left for a long time and has never contacted me. She did say she was leaving though," Kuroko said.

"Did she tell you where she was going?"

Kuroko was silent for a while. "I'm not sure. She might have mentioned going back to Okinawa. That's where her family lived. We've gone there twice before. It may be a long shot but I can go there and ask about her."

"Okinawa, huh?" It made Aomine think. It was really a long shot but it was better than nothing. So far Matsuba had not given him any new information about Sayu or the leader's whereabouts. They were still after the money trail that the Ring would always manage to put somewhere untraceable.

They were sure that the Ring was being funded by someone in the government and vice versa. It was dirty money that seemed to always disappear without a trace. Whoever it was that's behind the Ring would probably be bigshots. The redtape in the government did not help much at all either.

Aomine stood up. "Fine. I'll book us a flight for Okinawa later. You can go ahead and pack your things while I make the call."

Kuroko looked up at him with a surprised expression on his almost seemingly blank face. "You will go with me?"

"I'm protecting you, aren't I? We need to stay close together to find Yuki. And this is also part of my investigation. At least two heads are better than one," he said.

"I-I guess going together is a good idea," Kuroko said.

He turned his back to him, took out his cell phone and made a call to a local airline company.

* * *

"Kurokocchi!" Kise said as he hugged Kuroko the moment he saw him.

"Enough of that, will you?" Aomine said in a disapproving tone.

That made Kise let go of Kuroko. He smiled sheepishly as he scratched his nape.

"It's good to see you again, Kise," Kuroko said.

"I'm happy to see you, too, Kurokocchi," the blond said.

They were in the waiting area of Haneda airport. Kise happened to be in the area when Aomine called him. It seemed that the earliest flight to Okinawa was fully booked so he contacted Kise to pull some strings for him.

Kise was a pilot and was also the face for JAL. He still continued being a part-time model after they graduated. He knew some people so he was able to get them two seats to the 1pm flight to Okinawa.

"Thanks for helping us," Kuroko said. He raised the plane ticket that he was holding. Kise was the one who gave them the tickets. He refused to let them pay for it, saying that it was a gift for seeing Kuroko again after a long time.

Kise pouted as they all sat down on the chairs inside the waiting area. They still had several minutes left before the passengers were called in.

"Why is it that I'm not invited to Okinawa?" Kise said. His scowl was obvious on his face.

"It's for work so you can't tag along," Aomine said.

"But Kurokocchi—"

"And you also have a job to do. Aren't you on duty for an international flight today?" Aomine asked.

Kise held Kuroko's arm, ignoring Aomine. "Ne, Kurokocchi, why don't we go to Okinawa together without Aominecchi?"

Kuroko kindly smiled at Kise as he took the blond's hand off him. "As what Aomine said, we are going there for his job. I am helping him with it."

"Mou..." Kise leaned back on his seat and crossed his arms. "Why are you going there? Can't you at least tell me?"

Aomine gulped. He was not sure if it was okay to tell Kise about Kuroko's girlfriend without compromising the case. He had not discussed it with Kuroko yet since they had the same goal.

Kuroko turned to him since they were sitting beside each other. He shook his head. He was thankful that Kuroko seemed to have understood what he meant and said, "We're looking for someone."

"Who is it? A girl?" Kuroko did not answer. "Hmm. Kurokocchi, have you turned into the type that chases after skirts now?" Kise smiled, amused.

"N-no, it's not like that," Kuroko said. He looked a bit flustered.

Kise was right on the mark and it made Kuroko uncomfortable. Aomine needed to do something about the situation.

"We can't tell you more about the case, Kise. You're a pilot so just do your job," he said.

Kise pouted once more. "Aominecchi, you are such a meanie." He looked at his watch and stood up. "Too bad I need to get ready for my flight to Spain. Since it would be at Narita, I need to run now."

Aomine felt like he could breathe easier with the thought of Kise leaving. He had always felt bothered whenever Kise was around Kuroko because he was clingy to the other guy. It did not sit well with him but he had to stay silent about it since they were teammates before.

"Good luck on your search, Kurokocchi, Aominecchi. Let's meet some other time for karaoke or drinks, okay?" With that, Kise left after waiving at them.

Aomine heard Kuroko sigh. He could not determine though if it was a sigh of relief or regret.

"Kise is still the same after all these years," Kuroko said as he looked at the exit where Kise just disappeared to.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said.

Kuroko turned to him. His face was expressionless but his eyes seemed a bit happy. "But Aomine seemed to have changed like I did."

Aomine straightened his back as he looked at Kuroko. So Kuroko thought he had changed. Was it a good thing since his eyes looked happy?

But to Aomine, Kuroko did not change at all. Leave out the minor details and Kuroko would still be the same person as before. He would still be the same person Aomine wanted to be with.

"Really? In what way?" he could not help but ask.

"You're still like a light that shines with whatever you do. But now, I think you have shined even brighter. I feel like you have become a better person now that you've became a cop."

That made Aomine smile. He felt warmth spread through his chest as he looked at Kuroko.

"You have become someone who I can talk a lot easier to than before. At least that's how I feel now," Kuroko continued.

Aomine suddenly felt the urge to touch Kuroko. Before he knew it, his arm was already over Kuroko's shoulder. The other guy did not seem to mind the physical contact. His smile widened.

"I think you haven't changed at all, Kuroko. You're still someone who can say these kinds of things after all," he said.

"I'm just being honest."

"Right. And that's what I like about you." It made Aomine stop for a second. Wait. What did he just say? He wanted to kick himself for saying such embarrassing things. He looked at Kuroko and saw the other guy's ears redden despite his lack of expression.

Aomine wanted to hide somewhere. He looked away to hide his reddening face.

The boarding announcement came and it saved them from the awkward moment. They both stood up and headed for the boarding area without so much as a word to each other.

* * *

[**A/N**: Huwah. This chapter is full of tension for me. And Kise appeared. ^_^ What do you think about this chapter? Please don't forget to leave me a review if you have something to say. You can also PM me. The next chapter would be posted in a day or two. Thank you for your continued support. ^^,]


	3. Chapter 3 Doubts

**-Keep Close-**

**Summary**: Kuroko and Aomine head to Okinawa together to look for Kuroko's missing girlfriend.

**Warning**: More emotional conflict. More AoKuro moments.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. ^_^

* * *

**-Chapter 3: Doubts-**

"Ne, Kuroko, can you tell me more about Yuki?" Aomine asked as they waited at the bus stop.

Their plane landed at Naha an hour ago. After taking a late meal, they deposited their luggage at a hotel near the airport and are now heading towards Yuki's parents' house.

Kuroko looked at him with his usual blank expression.

At that moment, Aomine wondered what Kuroko felt about the whole situation. Having the person that he was with for several years suddenly disappear and then realizing that she may be living a double life was a bit hard to accept readily. If it were Aomine, he would feel betrayed and angry. But Kuroko's poker face made it hard for Aomine to gauge the other guy's feelings or thoughts about the situation.

It was hard to ask those kinds of questions since Kuroko never said anything. He wanted Kuroko to tell him how he felt on his own accord. He wished that Kuroko would depend on him more.

"Yuki... She's a very bright person. She also loves basketball and would play with me from time to time. She would always smile. She's a gentle person. If you get to know her, you'd realize that she's the type who wouldn't hurt a fly. At least that's how I know her," Kuroko said.

Aomine sensed hurt and bitterness in Kuroko's words. He felt a pang of guilt all of a sudden.

It was Aomine that brought this reality to Kuroko. If it weren't for him, the guy would not be in this situation. He failed to control the damage. Because all he thought of was the case, he had failed to realize the impact of his search to Kuroko.

"I'm sorry," he said while lowering his head. He could not bear looking into Kuroko's eyes. He felt guilty for being part of the cause that Kuroko was hurt right now.

"What are you sorry for?" Kuroko asked.

"I think I didn't change after all. I'm still someone who thinks more of myself than others. I'm sorry, Kuroko. I'm sorry if I brought you into all of this," he said.

He felt Kuroko hold his hand as if he was tugging him. It made his heart jump.

"It's not your fault, Aomine. One way or the other, I was bound to know these things about Yuki."

He looked at Kuroko's hand that held his. It felt warm against his skin. His eyes went up to meet Kuroko's that were focused on him.

"What would you do if..." Aomine could not continue what he wanted to say when he felt Kuroko's hand leave his. "I also want to confirm the truth. Who knows, I may have made a mistake and Yuki really isn't the person that I'm looking for."

Aomine knew it was far from the truth. He felt it in his gut that Yuki was really Sayu. He also trusted his teammates on the case to get the right information before reporting it.

Kuroko looked away. He seemed to be caught in his own thoughts about Yuki.

"Kuroko..."

Kuroko remained silent.

The bus arrived. Kuroko went in before him. He sat towards the very end of the bus. Aomine followed him but sat on the opposite end of backmost seat.

It was only after they had gotten off the bus that Kuroko spoke. "Whatever I find out about Yuki, I promised that I would always believe in her."

"You love her that much, huh?" Aomine balled his hands to fists, realizing that he said his thoughts aloud. He immediately regretted saying them.

Kuroko looked at him with a slight smile on his lips but his eyes were expressionless. "As her boyfriend, I should always be the first one to believe in her."

Aomine felt a tinge of pain in his chest as he looked at Kuroko.

Yes, he should always remind himself that Kuroko was already someone else's. He had no right to question Kuroko's feelings for Yuki.

Even before, when they were in middle school, Aomine already knew that Kuroko always pursued the things that he loved. It was like basketball back then. They both loved basketball. Aomine changed due to his own arrogance but Kuroko continued to love basketball despite everything that had happened to the Teiko team. Even though Kuroko had poor stamina and had a very low shooting average, he still pursued what he loved and worked hard. He never thought of losing even when they faced each other in the court.

That part of Kuroko was also what he admired and respected most since before. He never changed in that aspect. That's why Aomine should already know the answer to his own question.

It ate at him that it was like that. Aomine knew that it was wrong. But somehow, he had hoped that Kuroko answered differently. But all those were just wishful thinking.

He patted Kuroko's shoulder and gave an understanding smile. "That's right. You should always believe in the person that you love."

Aomine let Kuroko lead the way towards Yuki's parents' house. He let him walk a few feet ahead to give himself some space.

While Aomine looked at Kuroko's back, he felt his chest ache. He really wanted to hug him right now. He balled his hands into fists. He looked away and took a deep breath.

_This really feels like punishment_, he thought to himself.

* * *

Kuroko more than ever wanted to see Yuki. Right at that moment, as they were walking towards her parents' house, he hoped that she would be there.

He had a lot of things to ask her. He had a lot of things to be certain of and reaffirm.

It bothered him that he did not know everything about her. It bothered him that she did not trust him with the truth.

He had hoped that Aomine could be wrong about Yuki. He had hoped that she was just really out there somewhere travelling as she thought about their marriage. She probably just needed more time. He really wished it was so.

But the doubts still would not stop from appearing. The whys nagged at him. Even before Aomine showed up, those doubts had already appeared.

Why had she not contacted him? Where had she gone? Was she still coming back? Was she okay? Should he already report her missing to the police? Should he call her parents? Why would she do such a thing to him?

The questions would not stop. It bothered him that he could not keep the promise that he would always believe in her. He desperately wanted to believe in her. But the doubts just won't stop.

And when Aomine appeared, the doubts inside his heart grew bigger and bigger. The more he knew, the more he doubted. Feelings that did not exist before were there now.

Even his feelings. He had begun to question how far he would go just for Yuki. If he learned of the truth, if what Aomine had told him about the investigation were true, would his feelings for Yuki stay the same?

Doubts. They were like poison to his heart.

He was thankful that he was not alone in all this. Kuroko was thankful that Aomine was there to help him look for Yuki. If it were only him, he may have just waited for Yuki to come back. If it were only him, he may not have learned the truth.

"Kuroko..."

He stopped walking and turned to face Aomine.

"I just want to let you know that whatever happens, you can count on me," Aomine said.

He smiled. "Thanks, Aomine. I'll keep that in mind."

They continued walking until they reached the Satsuki residence.

It was a big, old house. It was one of those old ancestral houses that had been well-preserved over the generations. Yuki's family was well-off. They owned several large fishing boats in Naha. That was why her parents were able to buy the building where the veterinary clinic and there apartment were.

He and Yuki had gone there before to so that he could meet her family. He had also taken Yuki to his parents' house when they brought Nigou over so that his parents could take better care of the dog.

"We're here," he said to Aomine.

Aomine stood beside him as he rang the door bell.

His heart was unexpectedly beating fast while they waited for the gate to open.

"It's going to be alright," Aomine said. He gave him a pat on the shoulder.

He nodded.

The door opened and it was Yuki's mother that they saw.

"Good afternoon, Haruka-san," he said to Yuki's mother and then gave a curt bow.

"Ara... Kuroko-kun, it's been a while," Haruka said. She opened the gate wider.

"Haruka-san, is Yuki here?" he asked straightforwardly.i

"Yuki-chan?" Haruka looked at him with a bewildered expression. "Aren't you two together? I thought you came with her to visit but..." He saw Haruka's gaze fall towards the tall Aomine beside him.

"Ah, I'm sorry. This is Aomine Daiki. He's a friend of mine. We came here together," he said while smiling.

"Good afternoon, Satsuki-san," Aomine said.

"Are you looking for Yuki?" Haruka asked Kuroko.

"Yes," he answered.

"Why don't you come inside so that we can talk better?"

Haruka-san gave them tea after they were seated in the living room. Kuroko and Aomine sat beside each other.

"I'm sorry, Kuroko-kun, we have not heard from Yuki for a good while now. I'm actually a bit worried since you said that she has not contacted you either these past few months. But to tell you honestly, Yuki was always someone who was fond of going out on her own and travelling. She may be doing just that now, you know. But that girl, she really should have sent us or you a message," Haruka said.

Kuroko held himself in check. The doubts were there again. They would not stop.

"Do you know of any possible place where she might be staying right now?" Aomine asked. When Haruka-san looked at him, Aomine gave a respectful smile. "I am helping Kuroko look for your daughter."

Haruka-san smiled. "Thank you. I'm sorry to say that I don't know where she could be."

"If you want, we can help you in filing a missing person's report," Aomine said.

Haruka-san drank her tea first before replying. "There's no need. I trust my daughter. I'm sure she's alright. I'm sure she'll come back when she's ready."

* * *

Aomine was pissed.

_What the hell was up with that?_

What kind of parent would not worry and refuse to file a missing persons report when their daughter had been off the grid for more than two months now? It only even takes forty-eight hours to consider a person missing.

This situation is getting a bit suspicious. He was sure that the family knew something. The problem was that no one was talking.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath.

They were waiting for the bus again to go back to the hotel. It was already late afternoon.

"Aomine..."

He looked at Kuroko who was standing beside him. The guy was not looking at him, but was looking towards the direction where the bus would be coming from.

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me more about Sayu? You only told me that she might be an important person in your investigation. You told me that you were in the organized crime division. Does that mean that Yuki may be involved in something big?" Kuroko said.

Aomine gulped. He only said a little to Kuroko but he felt like he had already said too much. He did not respond for a moment as he thought of what to do.

"It's okay if you don't tell me everything. Just—just tell me about Yuki or Sayu or whoever it is that you are looking for," Kuroko continued.

"Kuroko..."

Kuroko turned to face him with his usual blank face. It was really hard to read the guy if he was like that.

He sighed. There was no way around it. "Sayu is a bookkeeper for a syndicate called the Black Ring. It's a group involved in illegal gambling and a lot of stuff. The money goes back and forth and they would be able to make large amounts of money disappear into thin air. We suspect that it's going to some politician's pocket. Sayu is important because she is the recorder of all the transactions. With her, we can trace the money trail and pin point who the bosses are for the syndicate. We would also be able to know who the benefactor of the group is."

Kuroko was silent as he looked at him. He was probably thinking about Yuki now. It was like he was about to say something but stopped himself in the end.

"I'm sorry, Kuroko. I really did not mean to disrupt your life like this. It's just that Yuki is a really important person to help us in the case. I didn't want to drag you around looking for her because I know that this might hurt you..." He said the last few words in a low whisper.

The bus arrived. This time, they had no choice but to stand since the bus was full. They were standing right next to each other. Aomine took a glance at Kuroko and saw that the guy was deep in thought.

He looked away, gritting his teeth.

"Ne, Kuroko..." he said after they had gone off the bus.

Kuroko looked up at him. His face still looking the same—expressionless.

_Do you think Yuki will ever come back?_ He wanted to ask that question but changed his mind. It would only hurt Kuroko even more.

Aomine shook his head. "Never mind. Let's go." He took Kuroko's hand and pulled him towards the direction of the hotel.

* * *

"Did you find out anything new?" Aomine asked Matsuba over the phone. They were already back at the hotel. He was in his own room. Kuroko was rooming on the one beside his.

"There is some information I think you need to look at," Matsuba replied.

"Tell me."

He stood up from the bed and walked out to the balcony. The back of the hotel was facing the sea. It had a good view from where he was standing.

"It kind of looked ordinary from the beginning so it was overlooked. But I went back to some of the places were the Ring was spotted and discovered something. I wondered why there were some names of people that turned up connected to the Ring but were just normal people. I finally discovered their common factor."

"What is it?"

"Basketball. Or should I say, underground basketball."

"What?" Aomine felt his heart skip a beat when he turned and saw that Kuroko was also on the balcony and standing outside. The guy was looking out to the sea. He gulped when Kuroko turned to him and nodded.

He nodded back and then turned around. He went back inside the room to avoid Kuroko from hearing anything.

"What do you mean underground basketball? This is the first time that I've heard of such thing," he said.

"You may not believe it, but it seems that big people are placing bets on the games. The ticket to the game is more than several months of our salary and with just that, the Ring earns money. Whoever controls the players controls the game. However, it seems that there's no age limit. Anyone can be a player. I've talked to one player and it seems that they are well-compensated but do not know who the real bosses are. They are just contacted by someone named Kon," Matsuba said.

Aomine gripped the phone tightly.

What Matsuba was saying was crazy. Underground basketball?

"How could they get away with something like that? They would need to occupy a basketball court if that were the case."

"The setup doesn't seem so hard. The game happens at night in a private facility. According to my source, there would only be several guards and the people who facilitate the games. Everything is set up digitally. The people watch through the cameras and place their bets electronically. There seems to be a specific website where people can watch. I checked it but you immediately need a password to access the site. We tried to see if we could get through but the security on the site is tight. We can't hack it even if I secretly tried asking someone I know. That's how tight they are about it."

"So the bosses could be in god knows where while the gambling is happening?" He gritted his teeth. "At least this is a lead. So what are the plans?"

"All we need is to capture that Kon guy so that we can get more information about the Ring's activities and about the leader."

"No, not yet. Don't capture Kon just yet. I have a something in mind."

Aomine discussed a few things to Matsuba before ending the call. He sat on the bed with hands clasped together.

"Basketball, huh..."

He layed down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He imagined what Kuroko was doing now. Was he still outside looking out at the sea?

How would the guy react to what Aomine had in mind? He was sure that Kuroko would offer to help.

He gritted his teeth again. He had no choice. He needed Kuroko now more than ever.

They needed to go back to Tokyo as soon as possible to discuss the plan.

He held his phone close to his face and dialed a number.

"Yo. Are you up for a basketball game?" he asked.

The person on the other line chuckled. "Are you challenging me?"

"Nah, more like I want to team up with you."

"I'll think about it."

"Kuroko would be playing along with us."

"Eh? Kuroko? That's pretty surprising. Fine. Just tell me when and where."

"Thanks. I'll call you when I get back to Tokyo."

Aomine ended the call with a sigh of relief. He never thought that it would be easy. Mentioning Kuroko was worth the gamble although he was still not entirely sure if Kuroko would go with his plan.

_This is all so messed up. _

* * *

[A/N: Who do you think was the person that Aomine called? Take a guess. Heheh. The story will be shifting on the next chapter. Please don't forget to leave your comments. Thanks.]


	4. Chapter 4 Obligation and Blame

**-Keep Close-**

**Summary**: Kuroko and Aomine are back to Tokyo still trying to get clues on the whereabouts of Kuroko's girlfriend. People from the past will come up. They find themselves caught in the rain and such.

**Warning**: More AoKuro. ^_^ More drama. More BL.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. ^_^

* * *

**-Chapter Four: Obligation and Blame-**

Aomine checked his wristwatch as he stood outside the gates of the pre-school where Kuroko was working. The children would be going home in a few minutes and Kuroko would be free to leave.

He was waiting for him. He did not tell Kuroko that he would fetch him from his workplace. He was worried that the guy would reject his offer of going home together. So it was just better not to give him an opportunity to refuse.

He also wanted to reveal his plans to Kuroko later tonight. He resisted the urge to let Kuroko in on his plans. He did not want the guy to be put in danger more than he was right now. But it seemed that he had no choice. Kuroko would be a big help but Aomine still had his doubts. But he knew that Kuroko would agree to join him because it was for the sake of his missing girlfriend.

That thought ate at Aomine. It bothered him to no end that he was only with Kuroko because of that woman. He hated the thought. And he almost started to develop negative feelings for Yuki.

"Aomine?"

He turned and saw Kuroko by the school gate.

"Kuroko, are you going home now?"

He noticed that Kuroko was still wearing his light blue work apron with pink flowers around the hem. He felt his heart skip. It seemed like the apron suited him.

"We will be waiting until all the kids get home. I just went here since someone told me there was a man standing by the gate. I thought you were a parent but it was just Aomine," Kuroko said. There was a slight smile on his lips.

He smiled, hiding his embarrassement. "I just wanted to make sure that you're safe so I think going home together is better."

"You got off early from work?"

"Yeah." He was on call 24/7. If any new information turned up about Ring, he would need to look into it. But he did not bother telling Kuroko that. He did not want him to think of being a bother.

"You can wait for me inside then," Kuroko said.

Aomine glanced over Kuroko's shoulder, at two female teachers that were looking curiously at him from the pre-school building's entrance. He smiled at them and then turned back to Kuroko. "I'll just be at the cafe around the corner." He pointed towards the direction of the cafe. "I'll be waiting for you there."

Kuroko nodded. "Well, see you later then."

He gave a brief wave to Kuroko before turning his back to leave.

"Aomine."

He immeditely faced Kuroko as he heard him call his name. He felt his heart skip a beat. "Yes?"

"Treat me to some vanilla milkshake later, okay?" He said with a glint of enthusiam on his eyes though his face remained blank.

"Sure."

At that moment, Kuroko looked very cute to Aomine. He suddenly had the urge to grab Kuroko and wrap him around his arms. But he hid his hands behind his back and balled them into fists to control himself.

"Later then." Kuroko turned back and went inside the pre-school building.

Aomine took a deep breath. Things were getting harder and harder to bear every time he was with the blue haired guy. It was slowly driving him crazy.

He shook his head and headed towards the cafe.

If Kuroko would let him, he would treat him to anything. He was willing to give Kuroko everything.

* * *

Aomine quietly observed Kuroko as he contentedly took a sip from his vanilla milkshake. They were eating a light meal at the cafe near his school before going home.

Kuroko was looking out of the window, observing the people that were passing by through the glass wall. No one would take notice of him since he mostly lacked presence.

But Aomine never, not even for once, not take notice of Kuroko. He would always be aware of his presence. His existence felt like an eternal light bulb that always flashed red in Aomine's consciousness.

He did not notice when it started. But it was back in middle school when he started to realize that fact. Kuroko would always take people by surprise. At first it was also like that with him. But as the days went on, his presence grew in Aomine's heart to the point where all he could see and think about was him.

He also looked out of the window when he noticed Kuroko turning towards his direction. It was always the guy's hobby to observe others and his surroundings. It probably helped him in using misdirection when they were playing basketball. It was something that he did not have when they were younger. Because all his attention was focused on basketball. And then later on, when he felt that basketball was no longer that exciting, he spent all his attention on pretending not to notice Kuroko or anything else.

"Aomine, what happened to us?" Kuroko suddenly said.

He sharply turned to Kuroko as his heart skipped. _What did he mean?_ He gulped before answering. "What?"

Kuroko put the glass of vanilla milkshake on the table and looked at him with his usual poker face. "Do you feel awkward towards me? I somehow noticed that you are uneasy at times that we're together. It wasn't like this before, right? Is there something wrong?"

_Damn. Kuroko and his observational skills._ Is he going to be found out like this? Does Kuroko already know his hidden feelings?

He gulped before answering. "There's nothing wrong, Kuroko. Don't worry about me." He tried to smile to brush off the feeling of uneasiness.

Kuroko just nodded and then went back to finishing the remainder of milkshake.

Aomine could not bring himself to tell Kuroko of his plans yet. Looking at Kuroko now made him hesitant. He could still probably look for others to help him. He would have to think about his plans harder.

The pre-school was actually only several blocks away from Kuroko's apartment. Kuroko told him that he needed to get a few stuff from there before going to Aomine's place so they decided to head out after their meal.

Kuroko also probably wanted to check if Yuki had already come back or if he had any mails from her. Even though Kuroko did not say it out loud, he could sense it from the light blue-haired guy.

* * *

Kuroko looked at Aomine as they walked to his apartment. He somehow seemed like he was thinking about something as they walked. He was just looking ahead of him as they walked with his hands on his pockets.

Aomine was wearing a suit. It suited him very well. Kuroko guessed that being a detective was really the most suitable work for Aomine.

They were near the apartment when the heavy rain suddenly poured.

"What the—" Aomine muttered.

"Let's run," he said.

They were finally able to reach the apartment but they were already soaked with rain.

He was a bit out of breath when they reached his door. Aomine seemed fine. He must admit, he did not have that much stamina now unlike before.

Aomine smiled as he looked at him while opening the door with his keys. "You really should exercise more, Tetsu," Aomine said as he put a hand on top of Kuroko's wet head while he pushed open the door.

They both stopped for while and just looked at each other. Kuroko felt like his heart skipped.

_Tetsu._ Aomine called him by his first name.

Kuroko suddenly felt nostalgic. When was the last time he heard Aomine say his first name? That was still back in high school.

Aomine removed his hand from Kuroko's head and put it on his side. He looked like he was surprised by what he just did but was easily able to calm himself. "Let's go in and get warm, K-Kuroko," he said.

Kuroko nodded. He entered the apartment and removed his shoes. He heard Aomine close the door and lock it.

He turned back to Aomine after removing his coat in the hallway and holding it on his arm. The other guy was just finished doing the same thing.

"Ne, Aomine..."

"Yes?" Aomine turned to him.

"Why don't you call me Tetsu anymore? Didn't you use to call me by my first name before?"

He saw Aomine's adam's apple move up and down. He looked away for a second and then back to him. Kuroko just stood there and looked at him as he waited for an answer.

Aomine's dark blue hair was also wet. Droplets of water were falling down from his hair to his face. He wiped them away as he brushed his hand through his hair. Doing that made Aomine look cool despite the wet clothes.

"It's... I don't know. We're not kids anymore so I thought—I thought it would be better to be a bit formal."

Kuroko felt like Aomine was holding out on him. He did not know why but it seemed that he was hiding something.

"Then call me Kuroko-sensei," he said just for the heck of it. He wanted to see how Aomine would react.

"K-Kuroko-s-sensei," he said in a low voice.

Kuroko bit his inner lip. Hearing Aomine being so formal with him did not sit well with Kuroko. In fact, it bothered him that guy was trying to be formal at all. Weren't they partners in the court before? What's so different now?

"Kuroko-sensei," Aomine said again.

It grated at Kuroko's ear. He did not want to hear Aomine say it. He shook his head. "This won't do. Please, call me Tetsu from now on." He turned back and went to his bedroom. "I'll go get us some clothes. I'm sure your shirt got wet as well from all that rain. But don't hope that I have something with your size."

He snickered for a bit. The image of Aomine wearing his shirt, which was a few sizes smaller, was funny. It brought a smile to his lips as he removed his wet shirt inside his room.

"Tetsu..."

Kuroko turned around and found that Aomine was standing by the doorway. He forgot that the bedroom door was open. Aomine was standing there still with his wet shirt on. It was sticking to his body and showed his well-toned torso. Kuroko suddenly felt his ears grow hot as he realized that Aomine was staring at him without his shirt on.

He shook his head. This was not the time to be shy. Weren't they on the same team before? They shared lockers back in middle school so this situation was not really the first. But why does he suddenly feel embarrassed now?

"I—I'm still looking for some clothes for you," he said.

"Thanks, Tetsu," Aomine said.

Without any warning, Aomine stepped inside the room and walked towards him as he took off his shirt.

Kuroko suddenly felt uneasy. He mentally slapped himself. They were adults. These kinds of things should not phase him.

"Wait here," he said as he turned for the closet.

Aomine suddenly grabbed his arm and made Kuroko turn to face him. Their bodies were a few inches apart.

"Aomine, what are you doi—" He lost whatever words he was about to say when he stared into Aomine's deep, blue eyes.

"Tetsu..."

Hearing his name made his pulse quicken all of a sudden. It made him gulp.

"My name. Isn't it only fair that you also call me by my first name? Ne, Tetsu," Aomine said.

"Aomine, why don't you let me go first so that I can go get us some clothes. We will both get a cold later," he said, trying to avoid what he said.

Aomine smiled one-sidedly. It made Kuroko's heart jump.

What was wrong with him all of a sudden? Was he having heart problems? Or was it because he ran fast awhile ago for the first time in a long time?

"Tetsu, I'm waiting."

Kuroko gulped again. Why was Aomine even doing this? Was it because he insisted that the guy call him by his first name that he was also doing the same thing? It wasn't fair if he wasn't even doing it before.

A moment of silence passed over them as they both stared into each other's eyes. Kuroko felt his heart beat grow faster by the second. He was starting to become fully aware of the heat that was emanating from Aomine's hand that was holding his arm.

"Fine. Just let me go first," he said.

Aomine smiled and released him. But he somehow felt a little regretful about it. Wait. What? Regretful? He mentally slapped himself. Now's not the time to be thinking about these kinds if things. He had more important things to do.

"Dai-Daiki, please wait for some new clothes in the living room. I will be there in a while," he said.

"Say it again."

"What?"

"My name. Say it again."

Kuroko sighed. Aomine was still as stubborn as ever. "Fine. Daiki."

Aomine's smile went up to his eyes. Kuroko suddenly felt like his breath was taken away as he looked at the guy. He looked very...handsome.

When was the last time that he saw Aomine smile that way? Wasn't it back in middle school when he still loved basketball and enjoyed playing? Wasn't this time the same as then? The spectacle of him smiling, because he enjoyed what he was doing, always took Kuroko's breath away when they were younger. He did not expect for Aomine's heart-felt smile to still have the same effect now.

"Tetsu..."

The next thing that happened was too fast for Kuroko to comprehend. One moment they were standing while facing each other. The next, he was wrapped in Aomine's arms. Aomine's lips were on his.

His lips felt warm. His embrace felt comforting as if he was being assured that he was protected. Those warm lips started moving and Kuroko felt the urge to respond.

_Wait. What am I doing?_

He realized what was happening too late. He tried to push Aomine away, but he could not escape his embrace.

"What are you doing, Aomine?"

"I told you, call me by my first name, Tetsu." Aomine's voice, his eyes , his warmth, it all made Kuroko feel wanted. It made him feel secure. Aomine kissed him again. This time, it was more passionate that before.

Kuroko slowly lost the will to resist. He could not help but open his mouth and respond to Aomine's kisses. He felt his knees weaken. He held on to Aomine's shoulders with both hands.

How long was it since he last felt another human's warmth? Three months ago? No, it was longer than that. He refused to think negatively about it since he wanted to be understanding. But how long was it since his bed had grown cold? Yuki would always refuse to sleep over and he never insisted since she was always the one to initiate any physical intimacy between them. But Yuki would only kiss him during important occassions and that was it. It all started several months before she disappeared.

Maybe he should have taken a clue by then. Maybe he should have realized that those kisses that were getting fewer and fewer by the moment and each night that his bed grew cold were signs of her leaving him.

Kuroko's heart ached as it longed for warmth. He thought of how stupid he was for holding on to Yuki despite her disappearing on him. He was probably partly to blame why she left. She probably felt that she could not trust him with her secrets. Was he that unworthy? Were his feelings not enough? What is because of him that she left?

Tears escaped from his eyes. He could not hold them back. Thinking about Yuki as he felt comfort in someone else's arms made his heart ache.

What had he just done? Was it really alright to be embraced by someone else why Yuki was gone? Was it because he did not love her enough?

"Tetsu?" Aomine cupped his face. He wiped away the tears from Kuroko's face with his thumbs. "I'm sorry. Don't cry, okay? I'm sorry." His eyes looked worried as they gazed at Kuroko.

Kuroko slowly shook his head. "This is all my fault." His hands fell to his sides. More tears fell down from his eyes.

"Why are you saying that?"

He looked down, unable to bear the look in Aomine's eyes. He felt like he did not deserve being comforted since he, himself, was not able to give comfort to Yuki.

"Yuki... She—she probably left because of me."

Upon hearing those words, Aomine let him go and brushed his hair with his hand. "Don't ever think that way, Tetsu. It's not because of you. It may be because of what she had been doing for the Ring that she disappeared. That's why we have to find her."

"What if we don't find her?" It pained him with every word that he said. Yuki probably did not want to see him anymore. He touched the pendant of the necklace that she gave. Maybe the necklace was a parting gift since she left the day after she gave it to him.

He gritted his teeth. He knew he should be a good boyfriend and wait for her. But he still could not help but think that he may be waiting in vain for someone who was not coming back.

He felt his knees weaken again so he sat down on the bed. He tried to wipe away the tears with his hands but they still kept coming.

"Tetsu, we'll find her. I promise you that," Aomine said. He kneeled down in front of him and held his hand. Kuroko felt his heart skip.

"You don't know that." He closed his eyes, avoiding Aomine's gaze.

He felt Aomine's hand on his chin as he gently lifted it up. "Tetsu, open your eyes. Please."

He slowly opened his eyes and saw a concerned look on Aomine's eyes. "If she doesn't come back, then we will look for her. And once we find her, you can talk to her about everything, okay? Don't think about anything else."

Before he realized it, his other hand was already cupping Aomine's face. He smiled quite sadly. "Thank you, Daiki."

Aomine smiled. But Kuroko noticed a faint trace of bitterness in his eyes. It was gone in an instant. It made him think that he was probably just mistaken.

* * *

_I'm punishing myself_, Aomine thought as he looked into Kuroko's pained expression.

He gritted his teeth as he stood up. He took the blanket from the bed and wrapped Kuroko with it to keep him warm. "I will be the one to look for our clothes. Just stay there," he said.

He opened the closet and rummaged through for comfortable clothes.

"Why don't we take a shower first?" he heard Kuroko say.

It made Aomine stop. He gulped as wild thoughts suddenly came to his mind. No, he must not think of such things. He was already lucky to easily escape any hateful words from Kuroko because he was more distracted by the thought of Yuki.

But should he really be thankful about it?

His heart ached at the thought that Kuroko did not even mind that kiss. It meant the world to him and yet Kuroko just ignored his feelings. He even thought about Yuki while he was the one embracing him.

Why can't he just forget about her?

He suddenly felt angry about the fact that Kuroko could still not get over that woman. He left him already. That kind of woman did not deserve a guy like Kuroko.

He gritted his teeth again. Was he stupid? Yuki was the only reason why Kuroko was with him. If Kuroko did not care for Yuki anymore, then where would that leave them? Would he and Kuroko still be able to be with each other like this?

He doubted it and that made him ever more angry.

He gulped before he looked back at the light blue-haired guy. "You can go ahead then."

He turned to the closet again and listened as Kuroko went to the bathroom and turned the shower on. Aomine closed his eyes and tried his best to supress his emotions. That kiss nearly made him do a lot of things that he would make Kuroko hate him. It was probably better that they stopped. Yeah. It was probably better.

When he found the biggest shirt Kuroko had and wore it, it seemed like a body-fit shirt to him. He probably looked funny. He sighed. He had no choice. He did not want to put Kuroko uneasy with him being half-naked all night until his clothes went dry. It was better than nothing.

He heard his phone ring. Aomine took it out from his pocket and saw that it was Kise that was calling.

"Aominecchi, are you there?"

"What is it?"

He heard Kise chuckled on the other line. "Are you with Kurokocchi right now?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Hmm... I figured. You two are being chummy again. I'm so envious."

"Why did you call? I'm busy."

"Mou, Aominecchi, you really are so mean." He did not respond. "Okay, so I heard that you want to play basketball along with Kurokocchi all of a sudden. So, who's going to be the opponent? Someone I know?"

"I don't think so," he said. He took a shirt and a pair of shorts from the closet for Kuroko and laid them on the bed. He walked out to the living room as he held the phone to his hear.

"Why didn't you call me? I can also play basketball, you know. Don't forget about me," Kise said.

Aomine sat on the sofa and leaned back on the seat. "Are you even back in the country already?"

"Yes, I'm back. So you can ask me to play with you anytime I'm free. I also want to play again with Kurokocchi, you know."

Aomine massaged his forehead with his free hand. He was starting to get a headache. He did not tell that guy that it was a secret after all. It was his mistake that word got out and now Kise wanted in on the game. How could he refuse such an offer?

He sighed. He glanced at Kuroko's open bedroom door. He could still hear the shower going.

"Fine. I'll contact you once the date is set."

"Eh? Don't we need to practice? I want to practice with Kurokocchi."

Aomine could imagine the blond guy pouting over Kuroko. It suddenly pissed him off. "I'll tell you the details later. Just wait for my call and don't tell anyone else, okay?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Aominecchi, but I already told Murasakibaracchi when I went to his bakeshop earlier this afternoon. Gomen. Gomen." He could hear a faint laugh from the guy.

"Kise, you b—" He was still about to say something when he heard the shower stop. "I'll call you later." He did not wait for a reply from Kise and just ended the call.

* * *

Kagami Taiga pressed the flashing button on his home phone to check what voicemails he received. He took off his fire fighter's uniform and changed into comfortable clothes as he listened to them.

The first one was an offer to get satellite TV. He smirked. He did not have much time for such stuff. The second one was from a college friend reminding him about an upcoming reunion. He sighed. He didn't really know many people back in college since he mostly focused on basketball. He shook his head as he put on a plain black shirt.

It was the third voicemail that made Kagami stop after he tied the laces of his basketball shoes. He was supposed to meet some friends to play ball on the court near his apartment. But upon hearing the voicemail, Kagami forgot about everything else he was supposed to do.

_What the hell..._

He rushed to the phone and grabbed the receiver. He dialed the number of the person on the voicemail and anxiously waited for an answer.

He tapped the table as he waited. The repetitive ringing made him more anxious by the second. His heart was beating faster and faster. His forehead creased as the worry appeared on his face.

"Tatsuya," he said as the call was answered.

"Taiga. Taiga, thank god you contacted me," Himuro said. His tone showed how relieved he was about Kagami calling.

"Just what happened? What happened to Alex? Where is she?"

"I-I don't know, Taiga. I was with her one moment and then she was gone. All that was left was a message telling me that I need to follow instructions or Alex will be in danger."

Kagami massaged his forehead for a bit. He did not know what to do at the moment.

He just met Alex last week in San Francisco. She went to Japan on a vacation. She bunked with Himuro while she was there. And then all of a sudden, she disappeared. Everything was so sudden.

"I don't have any additional information yet but Taiga, Alex was kidnapped. I was told not to contact the police. What do I do?" Himuro said, there was panic in his tone.

"When was the last time that the kidnappers called you?" He balled his free hand to a fist.

_Damn._

"They contacted me yesterday evening. Taiga, it's been three days since Alex was taken. I could not sleep while thinking about her. This is all my fault, Taiga. I did not look after her well."

Kagami gritted his teeth. Why had Himuro just contacted him now? Alex had been gone for three days already. "It's not your fault."

Alex had always been independent and did whatever she wanted. He was not sure how she got mixed up with kidnappers but he needed to help find her.

"I-I don't know what to do right now, Taiga. I can't stand thinking that Alex could be in danger right now."

Kagami banged his fist on the table. Whoever they are, he will save Alex from them and make them pay. "I'm going there. Tell me as soon as they contact you again. But wait for me before doing anything."

"Okay."

"Who else knows about this?"

"I haven't—I haven't told anyone else yet. I'm afraid the kidnappers would know if I contact anyone here."

"You did the right thing, Himuro. I will help you find Alex. We must get her back safely."

Kagami was fuming. Who the hell would kidnap Alex? Why would they do such a thing?

Alex rarely visited Japan so why was she targeted? Was this random or planned?

Kagami punched the wall. He was oblivious to the blood on his right hand. The pain was nothing compared to the worry that he felt for Alex's well-being. She was the one who taught him basketball after all. She was his mentor. Even when he was in college, she still helped him with his basketball and supported him when he joined the college league. He owed a lot to her.

It was the student's job to follow his mentor and save her if she needs help. Kagami needed to go back to Japan as soon as possible. There was no time to lose.

* * *

[** A/N**: Huwah. Honto ni gomen nasai. I'm sorry for the delayed release of this chapter. I am back to work and have been busy so I will be posting the new chapter next week. Plus, I can't take my mind off Tower of God as of the moment. I made this one long to compensate for not posting fast enough even though I said I will. I do hope that this chapter was not too emotional. This is in the drama genre after all.

I was able to introduce Kagami and Himuro in the end of this chapter. How will Alex's kidnapping affect the rest of the story? I will tell you in the coming chapters. ^_^

I actually did not plan for a long story. But it appears that some things are just needed to be told. I don't really go for rushed love stories quite often so this one would also take it's time. Hehe.

Thank you to everyone that has followed this fic and has given me reviews. I really appreciate you taking your time and reading Keep Close. Mata raishu ne!

Please send me reviews or PM. I want to know what you think. ^_^]


	5. Chapter 5 For your sake

**-Keep Close-**

**Summary**: Kuroko and Aomine are still trying to pick up Yuki's trail while sorting our their individual feelings. Meanwhile, Kagami is back in Japan looking for Alex.

**Warning:** More AoKuro. ^_^ BL up ahead! This chapter has fan service.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the rights to Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. ^_^

* * *

-**Chapter Five: For your sake**-

Kuroko could not sleep that night. He and Aomine decided to stay for the night in his apartment since the rain went on for hours even after the last trains had gone.

He sat on the side of the bed. He looked at the clock on his bedside table and saw that it was already past midnight. Aomine was already fast asleep on the other side of the bed. He insisted that they sleep together. He did not want to be alone even though he shared the bed with Aomine. He was afraid that his loneliness might eat him if he was alone.

Kuroko kept thinking about what had happened a few hours ago between him and Aomine. There were a lot of thoughts going through his head and he was not sure which one to focus on first. There was Yuki who was still missing. There was Aomine who was looking for her. And those kisses. He was not sure what they meant. It confused him.

Why would Aomine kiss him all of a sudden? Was it a joke to him? Was he curious? Or was it to distract him? Was it out of pity? They were close back in middle school and had somehow became friendly rivals in high school but it was not like this time at all.

If it were Kuroko, the only person he had ever kissed before was the person that he loved. And that was Yuki. But now...

Kuroko stopped himself from thinking further into what had happened a few hours ago with Aomine. It just did not make any sense to him.

He shook his head. He should think more about Yuki and not Aomine. He should concern himself with her since she was his girlfriend and she was missing.

He took his cell phone from the bedside table and dialed Yuki's number. He had been trying to contact her through her phone for several months now. It would always be off or getting routed to voicemail but he would still try again. This time was not so different.

Kuroko felt like his heartbeat went faster when he heard the continuous ringing on the other line. He did it! He was able to call her when her phone was on. He suddenly felt elated. His expectations rising by the second.

The call was answered and Kuroko felt his heart skip a beat. He gulped before speaking. "Yuki? Yuki are you okay? Where are you?"

There was no answer from the other side. No one spoke for a while after that but Kuroko could sense that the person who answered was listening to him. Kuroko suddenly felt like a hand was squeezing his heart.

"Y-Yuki? Are you there? Hello? Yuki? Please, if you are there, please talk to me. Yuki, I miss you. I have been looking all over for you. Where are you right now? Please tell me. I want to see you," he said. He held his cell phone with both hands now. The desperation was obvious in his voice. It was as if he was kneeling on the ground and begging.

"Gomen, Tetcchan." That was the only thing that he heard and then the line was cut off.

Kuroko froze. He was sure that it was Yuki's voice. It sounded as if she was sad based on her voice. But what was she sorry for? Was she sorry for leaving him? Was she sorry for keeping her other life a secret? Was she sorry because she was not going to see him anymore? What did she mean?

Kuroko dialed her number again. But this time, it was an automated voice that told him that the phone was turned off. He slowly closed his cell phone and weakly put it down on the bed. He suddenly felt like all the energy was zapped out of him in an instant.

With just a few words, Kuroko suddenly felt like the world had crashed down on him. He felt so weak. His shoulders were slumped as he stared blankly at the floor.

He sensed Aomine stir behind him. He did not mind the guy. He had hoped that he would continue to sleep. He did not want Aomine to see his miserable self.

"Tetsu..."

He froze again when he heard Aomine's voice. He sensed the other guy rise from the bed. Kuroko lowered his head. Tears fell down on his lap. He did not notice that he had been crying. He bit his inner lip.

It was the warmth that made him breathless for several seconds. It was Aomine's arms around him, as he hugged him from behind, that made the tears stop from falling. He was trapped in Aomine's arms but he strangely felt like he belonged there.

Kuroko closed his eyes and then opened them again after a while. They stayed in the same position for a long time without any of them saying anything. Kuroko gulped. He suddenly felt the urge to touch Aomine.

It was as if any thoughts about Yuki had been temporarily removed from his mind. All he could focus on now was how warm Aomine's embrace was and the feeling of peace beside him. He could feel his heartbeat slowly rising. He suddenly became aware of Aomine's warm breath fanning the back of his ear and how strong and refreshing Aomine's scent was.

He thought of the sun and the sea. He wanted to go the beach one day with Aomine. He was sure that they both could find happiness at that place.

Kuroko touched Aomine's hand and gently squeezed it. He turned his head to take a look at Aomine's face. He wanted to know what he was thinking at that moment. He suddenly had this feeling of wanting to know the Aomine that he had not seen for the past six years.

"D-Daiki, why are you so kind to me?" he said in a low voice. He looked at Aomine's face and realized that it was just a few inches away from his. That made him gulp without thinking.

Aomine smiled. But Kuroko noticed that there was a slight bitterness in them. "I am not that kind, Tetsu. I am a selfish human being."

Kuroko could not understand why Aomine called himself selfish. Well, he could have been when they were still in school. But now, it seemed that Aomine had become mature and responsible. He seemed like a reliable person who was kind enough to help him with Yuki and stay with him all this time.

"No, for me, Daiki is a kind person. You're here with me because you are kind. And I really appreciate that. Thank you, Daiki."

He heard Aomine sigh. He looked at the guy's face again and saw the gentle eyes that was gazing on him. His smile also became gentle as well. There was no trace of bitterness at all. It almost seemed like he was happy.

"If you continue saying those words, I may not be able to control myself," Aomine said.

"Why are you controlling yourself, Daiki?"

Aomine opened his mouth to say something but then held himself back. Kuroko gulped upon seeing Aomine's lips up close. He just suddenly remembered what had happed several hours ago. But he could not look away.

"Do you really want to know why, Tetsu?" He saw Aomine's eyes turn liquid blue. It was like melted cobalt. He suddenly felt his whole body become warm. Was it because of Aomine's arms around him?

It was as if the world stood still and suddenly became quiet. All Kuroko could here was his and Aomine's breathing.

Slowly, Aomine's lips descended to his. His embrace becoming tighter.

Kuroko felt like his whole body was on fire as Aomine conquered his lips. He gladly welcomed the tongue that invaded his mouth and met it with equal passion.

He was not sure how it happened, but before he knew it, they were already laying on the bed with Aomine on top of him. They were still kissing. Kuroko felt like his whole body was on getting hotter and hotter my the second.

He felt Aomine's hand inside his shirt. It touched his stomach and went up to his chest. His touch was warm and added to the fire that was starting to burn inside him. He arched his back closed to Aomine as the guy kneaded his chest and found his nipple.

His lips went down to his neck and to the back of his ear. "Tetsu," he whispered his name.

Kuroko embraced Aomine. He felt at that moment that he wanted to be closer to Aomine more than anyone else.

Aomine's lips went to the edge of his jaw and found it's way back to his half-open lips. He met Aomine's tongue with anticipation.

"Daiki..." he called out Aomine's name.

That suddenly made Aomine stop. He turned his back on him and sat on the side on the bed. He saw Aomine put his hands on his face as his elbows rested on his thighs.

"Daiki?" He sat beside the guy and put his hand on his shoulder. He felt a jolt on his chest when he saw the pained expression on Aomine's face.

What had he done now? Did he do something wrong?

"I'm sorry, Tetsu. I'm so sorry."

"W-what do you mean?"

"I can't do this. I don't know if I'm able to do the right thing when I'm like this."

"What do you mean, Daiki? I'm confused."

"I'm sorry, Tetsu."

"Daiki."

Aomine was about to walk away from the bed but Kuroko was able to take a hold of Aomine's pants. He held on to it and pulled at it to draw the guy back to him.

"Tetsu, Im very sorry for taking advantage of you. I know you're just lonely and you miss Yuki. I shouldn't be doing this to you." Aomine stood up from the bed. He saw that the guy's hands were balled into fists on his sides.

That made Kuroko let go of Aomine. The moment that he did, Aomine went out of the bedroom. He would probably be sleeping in the sofa.

Kuroko could not call out to him to come back. He suddenly remembered Yuki because of Aomine's words. He felt horrible. He realized that he had just may have used Aomine because he was lonely without Yuki. Was that really it? Did he really just do something like that?

He shook his head. He was the worst. How could he have done that to his friend?

But what about Aomine? If Aomine knew that he was just lonely because of Yuki, why would he still do those things with him? Was it out of pity? Or was it because of a totally different reason?

He wanted to know. He wanted to confirm whatever it was that was going on between them. He did not want to leave matters unresolved. He did not want this to be the reason that they would become awkward with each other. He did not want that. Kuroko wanted Aomine to feel at ease whenever they were together.

He decided to apologize to Aomine and talk to him about what just happened. And if possible, he still wanted the guy beside him.

* * *

Aomine took a deep breath as he slumped down on the sofa. It was a two seater and was smaller for his height. He was not sure if he could sleep tonight after what had happened a while ago.

He run his hand through his hair as he leaned back on the sofa. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath.

What had he done? Did he just divulge his feelings to Kuroko? Or did Kuroko take it the wrong way and is now disgusted with him?

He gritted his teeth. He was so stupid.

Aomine opened his eyes again when he heard the bedroom door open. He turned towards it and saw that Kuroko had opened it and was now walking towards him.

Looking at him, his hair was dishiveled. His lips were red from kissing. And his shirt was a bit crumpled. He kind of looked sexy and appealing at that time for Aomine. That made Aomine gulp involuntarily.

"Daiki, I'm sorry for earlier. Can we talk?" Kuroko sat on the table in front of the sofa. They were now sitting face to face to each other. Their knees touched each other and it sent a shiver down Aomine's spine.

Aomine straightened his back and clasped his hands together and squeezed them. He was still caught up with what happened earlier. Even if Kuroko just wanted to talk, he had to muster all of his self-control because of the sudden urge to touch Kuroko.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Kuroko looked down for a moment and then looked back at him, straight into his eyes. He bit his lip before speaking. "About earlier..."

"You don't need to say sorry about that. It was me who took advantage of you. I'm the one who should be sorry."

Kuroko shook his head. "No, it's not like that. I—I just want you back. I mean..." He hesitated for a while before speaking again. "I still want Daiki to sleep beside me. It's a bit lonely without you."

Aomine gritted his teeth. What was Kuroko doing? Was he punishing him for his 'more than friendly' acts a while ago? Was this it? He did not know Kuroko for being cunning. But he could not put it past the guy as well. He could not read whatever was behind Kuroko's poker face. It confused him even more. It was making him lose control.

Kuroko put is hand on his clasped ones and squeezed them. Their eyes still on each other's. "Daiki, why did you kiss me?"

Aomine looked away. How was he supposed to answer Kuroko? The truth? If he confessed his feelings, what would happen to their relationship then? He gritted his teeth.

"Daiki." Kuroko cupped his face with his other hand and made Aomine turn to face him.

"If I answer you now, we may both end up regretting this moment," he said.

Kuroko smiled. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I want to know what you are thinking, what you are feeling. I want to know everything, Daiki. I don't—I don't want to be naive anymore."

"You're not naive. Tetsu is just being Tetsu."

His lips went down to Kuroko's and claimed them. Kuroko responded to those kisses with gentleness. It made Aomine's body hot and wanting for more. But he had to control himself somewhat. He was still not sure with Kuroko's intentions of responding to him.

"Are you lonely, Tetsu?" he asked is a whisper, each word like a knife slicing though his heart.

"Y-yes..."

So that was it. Kuroko was just lonely that was why he responded to his kisses and did not turn away from his touch. It was just loneliness. He was just a substitute for Yuki. The thought ate at him. But he had no choice. This was his only chance to express his feelings for Kuroko without being rebuked. Even if he was just a substitute, he would do everything just to ease Kuroko's loneliness.

"Then for now, let me ease your loneliness. Let me embrace you and make you forget about your worries even just for tonight." He kissed Kuroko again. It was a gentle kiss. If possible, he wanted Kuroko to feel cherished.

His hands found his way inside Kuroko's shirt. He kneaded his chest and felt how hot Kuroko's body was.

Kuroko wound his arms around Aomine's neck. This time, it was his tongue that invaded his mouth. It made Aomine want more. He could not control his desires anymore. He was now burning for Kuroko.

His hand went down to Kuroko's waist and into the waist band of his pants. He slowly tried to pull if downward.

That made Kuroko stop. He moved his face away from him and looked down on Aomine's hand that was now inside his pants.

"This is—"

Aomine smiled. There was no turning back now. "I will take away your loneliness, Tetsu. Trust me."

Kuroko looked back up to him. Aomine gave him a long, deep kiss. Kuroko seemed to have forgotten all other thoughts and just eagerly responded to him.

"I trust you, Daiki. I'll always trust you," Kuroko whispered in his ear.

* * *

Kagami arrived at Narita after the ten-hour flight from LAX. He looked at his watch and found that Himuro was a bit late. He had been waiting for the guy at the airport because that was what Himuro had requested.

He tapped the ground with his foot as he stood outside of the airport near the taxi lane.

"Kagamicchi? Ne, is that you, Kagamicchi?"

Kagami turned towards the person who spoke and was surprised to see Kise Ryouta in a pilot's uniform. He was carrying a suitcase with him. He saw Kise wave at him.

He nodded in recognition. Kise walked up to him with a smile on his face.

"So it was really Kagamicchi. I'm glad to see you here," Kise said. He saw the luggage that he had with him. "Are you here for vacation?"

"Y-yeah. I decided to see Himuro and stay here for a bit," he said, trying to keep his face straight despite saying a half-truth. "So you're a pilot now?" he said, trying to change the subject.

Kise grinned. "Does the uniform suit me?"

Kagami shook his head. It seemed like Kise was still the same as he was before back in high school.

Kise pouted. "Kagamicchi, you meanie. Everybody else says I look good in my pilot uniform besides you." Kise sighed and put his free hand inside his pocket. "This is really some coincidence. First Kurokocchi, then Kagamicchi. Hmm... I wonder who else I would get to meet after all these years."

Hearing Kuroko's name piqued Kagami's interest. He also had no news about Kuroko and had not seen the guy for years now since he left for America. "You've seen Kuroko?"

Kise grinned even wider. "Yes. I met Kurokocchi and Aominecchi together at Haneda. They seemed to be going on a vacation or something."

Kuroko and Aomine together? It did not seem impossible since the two had known each other since middle school. But based on what Kise said, the blond just met Kuroko after several years. Then what about Aomine? Was he able to keep tabs on Kuroko all these years? He suddenly felt the urge to see the light blue-haired guy.

"Do you have his number?"

Kise went still for a second. "Now that you mention it..." He put his hand on his face and then looked at him with disappointed eyes. "I also to ask him. Gomen gomen, Kagamicchi."

Kagami sighed. It was no use after all. Maybe it was not really time for him to see Kuroko again.

"But I have Aominecchi's number. I can give his number to you and you can contact Kurokocchi through him."

His brows furrowed. Based on what Kised said, it almost seemed like the two were together. "Why would I?"

He and Aomine had always been rivals when it came to basketball. And since he was the new light that Kuroko chose after Aomine, it also became a reason for them not getting along with each other.

"Oh, Kurokocchi is temporarily in Aominecchi's care so they are together most of the time. I invited them for karaoke when they're free. So maybe you can come along as well," Kise said.

"Thanks. You can count me in."

They exchanged numbers. Kagami felt hopeful. Surely, Kise would not forget about contacting him if he would meet Kuroko. He somehow wanted to catch up with the guy. They were not that close back in high school. But it would be great to get news about the other Seirin basketball club members from Kuroko as well.

"Taiga, my bad. I'm sorry for being late," Himuro said as he ran towards them after he parked his car a few meters away. He saw Kise and slowed down his pace. He gave him a smile as he stood beside him and facing Kise.

Himuro cut his hair short. Both of his eyes showed now. They both no longer wore the rings in a chain around their necks but they were still as close as brothers. A lot had changed back in high school, but they were still able to keep a certain closeness between them.

"Yo, Himuro," Kise said to the newcomer.

"Long time no see, Kise," Himuro said.

Kagami looked at Himuro and then at Kise. It almost seemed like there was some sort of invisible wall between the two. Well, he did remember that Kaijo and Yosen did duke it out several times. Kise would sometimes clash with Himuro during the games. There was also that one time with Murasakibara that somehow caused the two to only be 'civil' with each other. He already forgot what caused it in the first place but the two were never on friendly terms with each other.

"Well, my ride is here. See you around, Kise," Kagami said.

"Okay. Bye Kagamicchi. Bye Himuro." Kise waved at them and then jumped into the nearest taxi.

When they were inside the car, Kagami said, "I never though Kise would be a pilot. It sure was coincidence to see him at the airport." He was sitting at the passenger's seat while Himuro was on the wheel.

"Well, you know Kise. He never fails to surprise people," Himuro said.

They became silent for a while. Kagami was not sure with how to proceed with the most pressing topic that they needed to discuss. He had a lot to say but it seemed like he was lost for words at the moment. He was not sure where to start without sounding like he was putting some sort of blame on Himuro.

"Tatsuya—"

"Taiga—"

They said almost at the same time. Then they both went quiet again.

He gulped before speaking again. "You first, Tatsuya," he said to Himuro.

Himuro glanced at him first before facing the road ahead and speaking. "I was late because I received a call from the kidnappers."

Kagami closed his hands into fists. He gritted his teeth as he tried to calm himself down. "What did they tell you?"

"They said I need to win a game for them in order to get Alex back."

"A game? What kind of game?"

"The caller said that it was something me and Alex were both good at."

Kagami pounded the side of the car door with his fist. Himuro did not say anything else.

* * *

[A/N: Yey! I'm finally done with this chapter. It was good that I was able to finish it in time for the deadline. I will post my new chapters every Tuesday or Wednesday from now on. ^_^

Again, thank you to everyone who read my fic. Thank you as well to those who gave me reviews and made me Keep Close their favorites.

I finally reached the 1000+ views this month. Kyaa! Atashi was ureshii desu!

I have been tumblring some AoKuro pics. I must admit for fangirling with my main characters too much these past few days. XD

This chapter is a great challenge for me since I am not good with love-love scenes. Hehe. But I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did afterwards. Heheh.

Again, please send me a message or write a review if you have time. I am always free to reply to any questions that you have.

You can also visit me on tumblr (imcryberry) if you have time. I write some random stuff in my diary about this fic and anything related to it.

Do I need to change the rating now?

Sore ja. Mata raishu ne!]


	6. Chapter 6 Revealing Intentions

**-Keep Close-**

**Summary:** Kuroko and Aomine are still trying to pick up Yuki's trail while sorting our their individual feelings. Meanwhile, Kagami is with Himuro as they try to retrieve Alex.

**Warning:** More AoKuro internal conflict. BL included. ^_^

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. ^_^

* * *

**-Chapter Six: Revealing intentions-**

Kuroko woke up to the sound of the alarm that morning. He extended his hand to reach it on the bedside and turn it off but realized that it was hard for him to move. He looked to find what was impeding him and saw that an arm was hugging his waist.

_Aomine's arm!_

He laid back down on the bed. Aomine stirred but still did not wake up. All the events of last night flashed through Kuroko's mind. He washed his face with his hands. He thought he just made the biggest mistake he could have ever done.

He slept with his friend. It was not just that. He slept with Aomine out of loneliness and because his heart got broken! And to think that Aomine was a guy! He was stupid. What he did was something unforgivable and selfish as a friend. He was not sure with how to face Aomine or even talk to him once he wakes up.

Aomine stirred again and hugged him even closer. It was a good thing that they had a blanket over their naked bodies. He could not see where their bodies touched but he could still feel the warmth of Aomine's body. He could even feel Aomine's—

He stopped himself from thinking. It was just wrong. This whole setup was just wrong.

He carefully removed Aomine's arm from him and gingerly climbed out of bed. He headed for the shower to clear his mind off.

The water from the shower was flowing down his body. Kuroko could still not put away all the memories of last night. He punched the tiled wall of the bathroom with the side of his fist. He gritted his teeth.

He had been unfaithful. At the spur of the moment, just because of one 'I'm sorry' from Yuki, he was torn. He became mindless and had only his emotions and need for love and affection take over. It was human nature to want to be loved and cared for. But not like this.

He was the worst. He slept with his friend on a rebound. He cheated on his girlfriend.

He ran his hands through his hair.

_What should I do?_

* * *

Kagami wiped the sweat off of his forehead with a towel. He just finished a few rounds of basketball with Himuro.

"Here." Kagami took a clean towel from his bag and passed it over to Himuro.

"Thanks." The other guy also wiped his sweat as he sat down on the bench beside Kagami.

It was early morning. Kagami needed to clear his mind off things so that he would be able to think better later. Basketball helped him with that. He was also thankful that Himuro was there to play with him.

He drank some water from his bottle and then turned to Himuro. "Are you sure it's basketball that the kidnappers were talking about when they said that it's something both you and Alex are good at?"

Himuro nodded. "But I have not seriously played basketball for a few years. I play from time to time but only on minor competitions. I'm focusing more on my work so I rarely play these days."

Kagami lightly shook his head. "The woes of a salaryman," he said.

Himuro was working as an account manager in an international IT firm. He was the one who handled some of the international accounts since he was well-versed in English.

"You tell me, Mr. Fireman. I'm sure you only play on your day off," Himuro said.

"We have a basketball court near the station. I always play if I want to," he said.

"You didn't think of going pro, huh?"

"What about you, Tatsuya? Why didn't you come back with me to America to play college basketball? It was actually fun playing against stronger opponents. It would've made your blood hot with excitement." He grinned for a bit.

Himuro sighed. "There were a lot of things that happened then, Taiga. I couldn't make that decision at that time."

Kagami remembered that Himuro's grandfather died just before graduation. He was forced to work in their family's company. His father became the president of the company and would have made him a VP. But the guy insisted on working from the bottom up since he was good with computers. He was still working on it until now.

"We just need to win a game, right?" Kagami said.

Himuro nodded. "I hope it's as easy as it appears."

"I'll make a few calls and see if we can get some people to help out. Do you also have some people in mind, Tatsuya?" he said.

"Yeah." Himuro took out his cell phone from his own bag. He looked through his contact list. "I think I can call some people. But the kidnappers still has not told us the terms or if it's really basketball. Maybe we're already jumping the gun here."

"But at least it's better to be prepared, right?" he said.

"I guess. I just want Alex to be safe," Himuro said.

Kagami put his hand on Himuro's shoulder. "I want Alex back, too. Don't worry, Tatsuya. We will win this and get her back."

* * *

When Aomine woke up, Kuroko had already gone. He had left a note on the bedside table saying that he had to go early to the school for something important.

He run his hand through his hair as he thought about what had transpired last night. He lightly hit his forehead with his palm several times. He felt so stupid for letting things happen the way they did last night.

Kuroko was lonely and he took advantage of it just to fulfill his own desires. He should not have done it. No. As a friend, he should have comforted the guy some other way and not sleep with him. He was the worst friend ever.

He took a deep breath before standing up and headed for the shower.

He was somehow thankful that Kuroko had already gone. He was not sure how to face the guy after last night. He had no face to show.

In truth, he was afraid to face Kuroko. Aomine was afraid that he would hate him because of what he did. He was even the one who did those things... He stopped his train of thought since the images of last night flashed through his mind like a series of pictures. He shook his head and went under the shower.

He should act cool about it. Yes, that should be the best way in dealing with the aftermath of last night. He should be steadfast in being a friend who would always be there for Kuroko. Never mind his own desires, he should put Kuroko's feelings before his own. And if ever—if ever Kuroko would want to be held and assured in the future, then he would—

He pounded the bathroom wall with his fists.

_There's no way that last night would happen again, idiot_, he told himself. Kuroko would certainly never allow it.

He gritted his teeth. What was worst was that he did not regret or feel sorry for what happened last night. He might have regretted at the start but thinking hard on it now, he was able to fulfill his most deepest desire since he first realized his feelings for Kuroko. Aomine was able to hold him. And the only desire he had left unfulfilled was to make Kuroko completely his.

He shook his head. The cold water hitting hard on his body.

The last desire would never be fulfilled. Kuroko would never be his. He was never his from the beginning. Now, he belonged to someone else. He belonged to Yuki.

Aomine took a deep breath once again.

* * *

Aomine was reading the report that a teammate submitted about the illegal gambling website that they were still not able to crack. He had the urge to find a hacker and have the site hacked just to have some progress with the investigation connected with the Ring. But that was illegal and it was not allowed by the government. He gritted his teeth.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He had been burying himself with paperwork the whole day. It was a vain attempt to forget about last night. He tried. But Kuroko was still able to occupy every corner of his mind.

Kuroko's voice, his cries, his warmth, his touch, his body...

Aomine shook his head. Kuroko was slowly driving him crazy.

He heard his cell phone ring. He answered it when he saw who was calling.

"Hello, Dai-chan?" he heard a sweet-toned voice say.

"Ah, Satsuki, how are you?"

It was Momoi that was calling. Aomine straightened his back. It was a an interesting coincidence that Yuki's last name was Momoi's first. He realized it just now. He shook his head again.

"Mou, Dai-chan. Why are you keeping things from me again?" Momoi said.

Aomine sighed. Momoi ignored his greeting. It was so like her to go straight to the punch.

"What do you want?" he said.

"Mou, you really are mean just like Ki-chan said."

Ki-chan meant Kise Ryouta. Aomine 'tsked' when he heard Kise's name mentioned. That guy sure was a blabbermouth. Aomine would need to teach that blond idiot a lesson next time they meet.

"No need to be mad, Dai-chan. I just want in on your game. Oh please, please! I want to see Tetsu-kun again. You're even hogging Tetsu-kun all by yourself now. Please let me play with him for a while, ne? Onegai," Momoi said, still maintaining her sweet tone.

He sighed. There was no winning with Momoi when she acts all sweet like this. It would actually be better if she sounded angry or commanding. At least he knew what to expect from her. But when she's all saccarine sweet like that, that meant she was dead serious. If he refused now, she would hunt him down and threaten to divulge every piece of vital information she has on him to their common friends. Being a data specialist, Momoi's ability was like a double-edged sword. Maybe it would not hurt if she was on board. Maybe he could let her do some covert researching for him.

"Fine. I'll call you later. We need to meet so that we can talk about the details."

"Yey! I knew you wouldn't say no to me, Dai-chan. You really are the best. I can finally see my Tetsu-kun. I'm excited. Can you bring Tetsu-kun along with you when we meet? Onegai!"

Aomine leaned away from his phone. Momoi's voice suddenly went to several decibels higher than before. He was able to avoid his ear drums from breaking.

"Calm down, will you?" he said with a hard tone.

"Mou, Dai-chan." He could see Momoi pouting in his head. She would always do that when they were young.

"Fine. I will bring Tetsu along. But in turn, I need you to do something for me."

"Sure. What is it?" He could see Momoi smiling from ear to ear now. He sighed.

"I'll tell you when we meet. Just wait for my call."

"Okay, Dai-chan. I'll be waiting. Mata ne."

The line went dead even before he could say anything more. He sighed again. Despite Momoi being busy with her own basketball team and her part-time modelling, she was still able to nose her way into his and Kuroko's business. She really was an incredible woman.

Aomine remembered that Momoi used to always follow Kuroko around. Everyone considered Momoi and Kuroko as a couple not unless the light blue-haired guy would correct her. He used to just watch the two before. He was good at masking his feelings. And Momoi was a childhood friend. He had no ill feelings towards her for always chasing after Kuroko or for liking him. He understood the feeling since Momoi's 'like' for Kuroko was also one-sided like his.

And when they were going towards high school exams, he was sure that Momoi would follow Kuroko. But in the end, she chose Aomine. He was somewhat thankful because that was one way to separate Momoi from Kuroko. But he also felt rotten for feeling thankful so he continued being his arogant self just to erase that feeling. And so, that brought him with Momoi against Kuroko as enemies in the court in high school. A lot of things started happening then. Some, it was better for him to forget.

* * *

Aomine waited at Maji Burger. He found one near Kuroko's school. It was nearly the time the students went home. He sent Kuroko a message telling him to meet at the fast food chain.

He remembered that they would always go to Maji Burger back in middle school. He knew that Kuroko liked the vanilla milk shakes that Maji Burger sold. He was sure that Kuroko also went to another chain store in high school with his teammates.

He watched the street outside through the glass wall to watch out for Kuroko. This was all part of his plan of acting cool. He would at least try to pretend that last night did not happen. Or if Kuroko was the one to open up the topic, he would only tell him that he was just easing his loneliness without revealing his true feelings.

He heard his cell phone beep. He read the message that he just received. Momoi was apparently near the area because she was just watching a basketball match against her team's opponents. She said that she was free now and could meet them.

Aomine emailed her just after he settled at a table at Maji Burger. He needed to find information on the Ring or on Yuki. That's where Momoi's expertise could come in handy.

"Dai-chan!" Momoi said as soon as she saw him when she entered.

He stood up and said, "Don't call me Dai-chan anymore, Satsuki. It's Daiki for you now." He suddenly remembered Kuroko calling him by his first name. That made Aomine stop for a split-second but was able to regain his composure. He hoped Momoi did not notice it.

Momoi sat on the chair opposite of his and he also sat down again. She put her hands on her hips and pouted. "Mou, Dai-chan. I refuse to do that."

They stared at each other without blinking until Aomine gave up. He sighed. "Suit yourself."

"Yey! You're the best, Dai-chan." Momoi clapped her hands.

"So, what do you want to eat?"

"Are you treating me?"

"Since I'm the one asking for a favor, I figured I should treat you," he said.

"Okay. It's been a long time since you treated me to anything anyway. Policemen are so stingy these days."

"I'm not stingy. I'm just busy. Wait, are you talking about me?"

Momoi smiled meaningfully. Aomine jumped into the conclusion that she was talking about him but she probably meant someone else.

"Hmm... I'm not saying." She stuck out her tongue.

"You're dating a policeman, aren't you?" He said in a low voice. He leaned closer to her from across the table.

Momoi just smiled meaningfully again.

He shook his head. Momoi really won't budge if she didn't want to. That was why she was relentless in chasing after Kuroko when they were in middle school before. He stood up. "I will order for you. Want anything?"

"Burger and fries and a strawberry shake, onegai," she said.

"Okay, just wait here." He went to line up at the counter to order for Momoi.

When he got back with her order, Momoi happily ate her food. Aomine also ate what was left of his own before Momoi arrived. He would just try and eat a little more later once Kuroko arrives. Aomine hoped that he would come.

He looked at his wrist watch because Kuroko has still not arrived. It was already getting dark. "I need you to look into something for me," he said after they finished eating.

"What is it, Dai-chan?"

"I need you to get information about a woman named Satsuki Yuki. You can also look into someone named Sayu."

"Any additional information you can add before I gather data?" Momoi seemed interested all of a sudden. She probably already knew that he was investigating along with Kuroko because of his girlfriend. He was sure Momoi's data would give her that knowledge.

"Do I need to?"

Momoi smiled meaningfully again. "You caught me, detective."

He shook his head. "Please keep this from Kuroko."

Momoi nodded.

"And if you can..." He looked around first before continuing. He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Momoi. She also leaned closer to his as if she understood the importance of not being overheard. "Please look into the Black Ring and it's people. If you can find any information. Even if it's just small. And if you can, try to visit the site that I will email to you, okay?"

"Okay. You can count on me," Momoi said.

"You need to be careful, Satsuki. This is a very sensitive operation. And I don't want Kuroko knowing some unnecessary information."

"Don't worry, Dai-chan. Leave it to me."

When they both straightened their backs on their seats, Aomine said, "And if you're free, I would like to to act as a coach for us. We're going to play ball if we manage to get hold of a contact."

"Of course. If it's for Tetsu-kun then I will gladly coach him along with you. So who are the other members? Don't tell me—" She clasped her hands together on the table.

"Yeah. I've asked some of our teammates from middle school. The ones who know seems to have shown interest in playing together again."

Momoi nodded. "That's good then. I'm excited to see how you guys would play after a long time. This is the greatest reunion for Teiko ever," Momoi said with a wide smile.

"What do you mean reunion, Momoi-san?"

Aomine and Momoi were both caught unaware of Kuroko. He was already standing beside their table that was why he overheard what Momoi said. Aomine and Momoi both stood up. It was a long time since this happened.

"It's been a long time, Tetsu-kun. It's so good to see you," Momoi said with a smile. She went to give Kuroko a rib-breaking hug especially with her huge breasts. Aomine just shook his head as Momoi gave him a meaningful smile while hugging Kuroko.

She seemed to say with her eyes that she knew something was up. It was as if she knew all along with that look on her face. It made Aomine uneasy but he tried to ignore it.

"Momoi-san, I can't breathe," Kuroko said with his usual blank face. When Momoi let go of Kuroko and they all sat down, he said, "It's also good to see you after a long time, Momoi-san. You're looking good."

Aomine felt awkard sitting next to Kuroko. But the guy acted like last night did not happen. The guy just probably did not want Momoi to notice anything different. If that was what he wanted, then Aomine was willing to cooperate.

"So what were you guys talking about?" Kuroko said.

Aomine looked at Momoi first before answering. He smiled. "It was about our old basketball team from middle school. There was this plan of playing together again one day. Momoi got excited about it and went to meet us here."

"That's right, Tetsu-kun. I want to see you play again," Momoi said. Aomine gave her a thankful glance.

Kuroko nodded. "Is this about Yuki?" he said without batting an eyelash.

Aomine gulped involuntarily. Kuroko really had a good sense about things involving Yuki. "Y-yes, something related to that," he said.

Kuroko turned to him. "Are we playing basketball to find Yuki?"

He nodded. "It's one step closer to Yuki. But we need to find our contact first before we can play a game. And our opponents are unknown as well."

"Then I'm in. I will play if it's for Yuki," Kuroko said.

"Mou, Tetsu-kun, why didn't you choose me? Tetsu-kun would be happy if you were with me," Momoi said.

Kuroko turned to Momoi. "Thank you, Momoi-san. I appreciate your offer although it's a bit late."

Momoi just pouted at Kuroko.

Aomine shook his head at Momoi. "Satsuki, stop fooling around with Tetsu. You already have a policeman to date."

"I just though I should try it out," Momoi said as she scratched the back of her ear while grinning.

"I'm happy for you, Momoi-san," Kuroko said.

Aomine secretly looked at Kuroko and saw that the guy still had his poker face. He could never guess what he was thinking. His voice sounded sincere but it was as if he heard a faint trace of bitterness in them. Was Kuroko bitter because he was not happy and Momoi was and he did not choose her? Or was he happy because Momoi had finally moved on from him? He shooed away those thoughts more for his own sake and not for Momoi's.

* * *

It was rush hour. They took the train from the station near Maji Burger to Aomine's apartment. The train cars were packed that evening. Aomine and Kuroko had to stand beside each other in the packed train.

Momoi's apartment was in the opposite direction so she parted ways from them at the station.

They were facing each other and had several inches of distance. Aomine could not help but stare at Kuroko's light blue hair since he was taller.

The train stopped at one station and more passengers went in. The train got more packed than ever. Someone got pushed towards their direction and that caused Kuroko to get out of balance and crash directly into Aomine. Aomine instinctively hugged his with one hand as the other held the support on the railings.

He could feel Kuroko's body pressed against him. The guy wanted to move away but the spot he had before was already occupied. Kuroko looked up to him and said, "Sorry."

"It's okay. Just hold on to me," he said. He was not able to take his hand that was hugging Kuroko away since it was too crowded now.

He felt Kuroko hold on to his coat with two hands. It made Aomine smile secretly. He felt happy. Just being like this was enough for him. He hoped that the train ride would not end. But he knew it would just be a foolish wish.

...

[**A/N**: Huwah! Done with this chapter. Now off to watch Lee Min Ho in Faith! Kekeke!

Any reviews would be very much welcome. Thank you for expressing your love for Keep Close. I do notice that the viewership is getting higher. Thank you lots! Minna daisuki!

And please pardon any mistakes. I will re-edit this later. ^_^

...

Finished with the edit. Now back to Lee Min Hot. lol ]


	7. Chapter 7 Impending fall

**-Keep Close-**

**Summary:** Kuroko and Aomine are struggling with their feelings as they look for Yuki. There's a mini reunion of old acquaintances.

**Warning:** More AoKuro. Additional bromance and 'potential' pairings. Heheheh. BL included. ^_^

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. ^_^

* * *

**-Chapter Seven: Impending fall-**

Kuroko was at Aomne's apartment once again. He looked at Aomine from across the dining table and realized that he was the only one who was affected by what happened last night.

Yes, he was the only one. Aomine seemed cool about it. But for Kuroko, he did not know what to do the moment he and Aomine were alone together. He would not dare strike up a conversation because it may lead to what happened last night. But up until now, everything that they have talked about was only regarding the investigation and about Yuki.

That even made Kuroko guiltier than before. He was guilty with the thought that he felt pleasure and totally forgot about Yuki last night. He felt guilty because he enjoyed every second of last night. But it did not seem like it to Aomine. He seemed to be just cool about it, like he already had tons of experience when it came to sex.

That thought suddenly made his chest tighten. He resented the thought of Aomine sleeping with others. He castigated himself that he did not have the right to resent those people since they were before Aomine was with him.

He held his glass tightly. He suddenly felt the urge to reach out to Aomine. But he stopped himself. What was he doing? He was making things worse by thinking about these things. He must not. If he was a good boyfriend, he should not even be thinking about such things.

"Tetsu..."

His heart skipped a beat. Aomine's voice roused him from his thoughts. He looked up to the guy. "Yes?"

"Will it be okay if the other Generation of Miracles know about you and Yuki?"

He could not think of an answer for a second. He thought Aomine would ask him about last night. "Yes, it's fine. If they will help us with finding her, then it doesn't matter."

Aomine nodded. "We need to get together somehow to discuss this matter formally. I'll go ahead and call them."

Aomine stood up from his chair and went to his bedroom.

* * *

When Kuroko was done with his dinner, he decided to wash the dishes. He did not want to be a burden to Aomine. At least he should do the things that he could for him. This was only a small thing compared to what the guy was doing for him.

After he finished washing the dishes, he wanted to take a shower. His things were inside Aomine's bedroom so he decided to go inside.

He was about to open the door when it opened on its own. It almost took his breath away when he saw Aomine's face up close. The guy was about to go out of his room and they crashed into each other.

Kuroko nearly lost his balance but Aomine was fast enough to hold his arms and steady him.

"Are you okay, Tetsu?" Aomine asked.

Kuroko looked up at Aomine's face. His heartbeat raced as he saw Aomine's lightly opened lips.

"I'm—I'm not," he answered in a low voice.

Aomine held his chin with his thumb and index finger and raised his face further so that they could meet each other's eyes. "What are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling..."

The pull of Aomine's dark, blue eyes made Kuroko want to reach out and touch him. The feeling was so strong that his hand went up on its own and he touched Aomine's face.

"Tetsu?" Aomine looked worried. His eyes were searching his.

In a split-second, Kuroko stood on tiptoes and his lips reached Aomine's. He moved his lips and egged Aomine for a kiss. The guy responded with an equal passion.

The connection was electric. Kuroko felt an undeniable force pull him close to Aomine. His arms went up and wound them around Aomine's neck. Their bodies became closer and he could feel each other's warmth. Kuroko felt his insides grow warm. It was like he was melting with his kisses.

He felt Aomine's hand inside his shirt. It climbed up to his chest and found his nipple. He pinched it and it made Kuroko moan against his lips.

Aomine smiled. He swept Kuroko off his feet with a princess carry and took him inside the bedroom.

They did it three times. The next morning, they did it twice. It was like a surge of a tsunami. It was uncontrollable and all consuming. It was like a forest fire that started with a small spark and spread without stopping as it burned everything.

If Kuroko learned a lesson about all that had transpired, it was that he had no sense of control and that he had indeed become unfaithful not just once but many times. And what was worse was that he felt no sense of stopping.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he lay on the bed. His hips ached but his chest ached more. It was more of self-pity more than self-hatred. Yes, he pitied himself. He pitied himself for becoming someone he wasn't. But because of his own loneliness, he became someone he did not want to be.

"Tetsu..." Aomine hugged him from behind. Their naked bodies becoming closer once more. "Please don't cry, Tetsu."

But the tears would not stop. He felt Aomine push him down so that the guy could see his face. He refused to look at Aomine despite their face being inches from each other. He felt Aomine's fingers wiping away his tears.

"Tetsu..." He felt Aomine's lips on his and the sudden bolt of electricity made his whole body shiver. And that made the tears stop as if they never started.

And Aomine held him ever so gently once more.

* * *

Himuro laughed when Kagami suddenly fell off his chair. The guy was over eating as he normally did but suddenly had food stuck on his throat. The guy rushed to grab his glass of water to drink. And when he finally had his throat cleared, he leaned so much on his chair that it flipped over and he fell off.

"What are you doing?" he said in a laughing tone.

Kagami shook his head and made the chair stand after he did. "Sorry about that." He scratched his nape and was even laughing himself.

They were in his house. He insisted that Kagami stayed with him instead of the guy staying at a hotel. For one, he did not want to be alone after Alex's disappearance. Second, he enjoyed Kagami's company. Since they were little, he liked spending time with Kagami on and off the court.

Kagami sat on his chair once again and they continued eating.

He remembered the time back in high school when they fought over their rings. It was because he did not want to be Kagami's brother anymore. No, he never wanted to be in the first place. He wanted to them to be something more than brothers.

Himuro wanted so much to reach out and hold Kagami's hand that was holding his chopsticks as he ate. He wanted to hold him and tell him what he felt but stopped himself.

A plain-looking ring glinted because of the light in the dining room. It was on Kagami's right ring finger. Himuro secretly gritted his teeth as he looked at the engagement ring. He only knew about it after Kagami arrived. The engagement was apparently recent and to an American athlete for women's basketball.

"Tatsuya, are you okay?"

He looked up to Kagami. "Huh?"

Kagami looked worriedly at him. "You're not eating."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking if Alex was eating properly," he lied through his teeth.

Kagami's expression changed after he heard Alex's name. Kagami sighed. "I know. I'm worried about her, too. But please take care of your health, Tatsuya. I don't want to see you acting like that. I'm sure Alex would also think the same if I she were in my situation."

Himuro nodded and picked up a piece of shrimp with his chopsticks. "Thanks for being here, Taiga. You just don't know how much this means to me."

Kagami smiled. "I will always be here for you, Tatsuya. Never doubt that."

_Liar. If so, why are you marrying someone else? _

* * *

"Aomine-san. Aomine-san."

Aomine blinked and turned to the person who was calling him. It was Matsuba. He was standing in front of Aomine's desk. Aomine got caught in his own thoughts again. His thoughts were all about Kuroko and everything that had transpired last night and this morning.

It was the greatest experience so far. He never imagined it to be possible to embrace Kuroko without getting rebuked. He did not think that the guy would let Aomine hold him a second time. That was why his head would always be up in the clouds and he would be smiling like an idiot.

He remembered Kuroko's voice. How he cried out in passion. He remembered Kuroko's face. The usually blank face gave him so much expression that it made Aomine's whole body ache for him.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" he said, pretending nothing happened.

Matsuba shook his head. "Focus, man. Focus." The guy pushed the mug of coffee that was already on his table closer towards him. "You probably need more of this."

He smiled sheepishly. "You got me."

"Rough night, huh?"

He just shrugged as he smiled.

Matsuba looked at him with an understanding smile. He was probably thinking that Aomine got himself a girlfriend. He was wrong but what he was also thinking about what had transpired last night was somewhat right.

"So, we just got word from our player that he got contact with Kai. He agreed to have a substitute team play on the next game provided the captain of the team meet him first," Matsuba said.

Aomine stood up from his chair. It was a really good chance that they just got. He was thankful that Kai was an easily agreeable guy. "Why did he agree so easily?"

"Well, our player said that he bragged about the sub team being really good. So I guess that kind of bagged it."

He rubbed his chin with his index finger and thumb and thought about his potential teammates. It wasn't bad, it was the best possible team he could have right now. He just probably had to think of how to compensate the others for this favor.

"Tell the player I'll meet him. Do we have Kai's contact information?" he asked Matsuba.

"No. But Kai said that he will send a message to our player to give the time and place of where you can meet him," Matsuba answered.

He nodded. "Fine. This is better than nothing."

"But we need to be careful about this. This may be a trap," Matsuba said.

"I know. But we can't just sit around and do nothing when this chance is the best that we have," he said.

Aomine's cell phone rang. It was Kise calling. He excused himself and went out of the office to answer it.

"Yo, Aominecchi!" Kise said.

"What's up?" he said.

"Nothing much." He heard Kise snicker from the other line.

"So what do you want?"

"Are you free later? I want to invite you and Kurokocchi for some drinks. I received a bonus so I was thinking of getting together later tonight. Are you free?"

Aomine sighed. He still hadn't sorted things out with Kuroko yet and now they were going for drinks? It was like suicide for their relationship. He was taking a dive without water on the pool. But he shook the negative thoughts away. He could not refuse a free drink especially if it was Kise. He was very generous when it came to treating others especially every time they would go out.

"I will ask Kuroko first. I'll go if he does," he said.

"Yes! Thanks, Aominecchi. I'm sure Kurokocchi wouldn't mind. He even said yes when I asked him last time, right?"

He shook his head. There was no saying no to an over eager Kise or he would bug you incessantly about it later. He remembered the time back in middle school where Kise would always try to be close to Kuroko. He was also incessant before. Nothing changed until now.

"I'll call him. Now, hang up the phone so that I can go ask him," he said.

"Okay, Aominecchi. Ja ne!" Kise said and then the line was disconnected.

* * *

Aomine scratched his head as he looked at the people around the table. They were in a bar in Shibuya where Kise told them to come. He looked at the other four faces with a slow growing discontent. But he could not say a word. It was Kise who invited them and were treating them for drinks. He should not complain.

Starting from his left, there was Kise, Kagami and then Himuro. Kuroko was on his right. They were all drinking silently it not for Kise's usual banter.

Kise seemed happy tonight. That was probably because of his bonus. Or was it because he saw Kuroko again? But he still could not figure out why Kagami and Himuro were with them.

He felt Kuroko gently nudge him on the side. He turned to his side and saw Kuroko looking at him. His face was blank but his eyes seemed like it was telling him not to do anything stupid. He easily agreed when he called the guy after Kise's call. It was like nothing happened last night and this morning. He knew it was something that they need to talk about it sooner or later but not one of them were willing to talk about it now.

"You know, I saw Kurokocchi at Haneda and then I saw Kagamicchi in Narita. It was funny how I always meet people at the airport," Kise said with a smile. He drank his beer afterwards.

"Isn't because you're a pilot, Kise," Aomine said.

Kise turned to him. "Ah, maybe you're right, Aominecchi. That's right."

Aomine saw that Kagami was looking at Kuroko. He knew that the two were only together back in high school because of basketball. But it still did not stop him from getting irritated. He did not want anyone else looking at Kuroko. But that level of selfishness was not allowed for him. He had no right over Kuroko despite the things that they had done together last night.

"So, Kagami-kun, why are you here in Japan? Weren't you pursuing basketball?" Kuroko said. He slowly drank his own beer.

"I was but I decided to be a firefighter after college," Kagami said.

Aomine saw Kagami's ring on his right ring finger. It was a simple silver band that looked like something for engagement.

"Kagami, you..." he said.

The guy noticed him looking at his ring. Kagami scratched his nape while sheepishly smiling. "Ah, this. Yeah, I'm engaged now. I'm getting married next year."

"Wow. Congratulations, Kagamicchi!" Kise said.

"Good for you, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said in his poker face.

"Congratulations," he said. He somewhat felt happy with the thought of Kagami marrying someone. He suddenly felt like a wave of relief washed over him.

"So, who is the lucky woman?" Kise said.

"It's a professional basketball player in the women's league," Himuro said.

"Kagamicchi, there really is no doubt that you love basketball so much," Kise said. He laughed. That made the others laugh as well.

Kagami scratched his nape again. He smiled. He obviously looked happy about his engagement.

"What's her name?" Kise asked.

"It's Paula Stewart," Kagami answered.

"Woah." Kise laughed again. "I know her. She's like one of the best players for the women's league in the world right now. You're really a lucky guy, Kagamicchi." Kise nudged him on the arm.

Aomine's hand was under the table. He reached out to Kuroko's left hand that was on his lap and gently held it. He was sure that Kuroko had thought about Yuki because of Kagami's engagement. Kuroko also had a girlfriend. He was sure there were already thoughts of marriage if they were going out for three years now. Wasn't that the case ofr Kuroko and Yuki? But then, why would Yuki disappear?

Aomine's chest ached with those thoughts. He knew he was a fool but he still could not help but think about those things whenever it came to Kuroko. But he shook away those thoughts and just held Kuroko's hand.

Kuroko slowly turned to him and gave him a smile only he saw.

* * *

Kuroko decided to slip away from their table. Kise and Himuro excused themselves because some phone calls. He, on the other hand, decided to go to the toilet to ease out his drunkeness. He was slowly feeling the effects of alcohol. He was not much of a drinker since he mostly drank only vanilla milk shakes.

When he entered the toilet, he heard people arguing. It was Kise and Himuro. But since they did not normally notice his presence even after several years in high school, he just stood there at the entrance, not wanting to disturb the two men.

"What do you think you're doing?" he heard Himuro said.

"That's none of your business," Kise said in a hard tone.

"None of my business? Everything is my business. You—You should not pull on the wrong string or I will cut it and let you loose. I'm warning you, Kise. Don't get on my bad side," Himuro said.

"Or what? Cut me loose? Turn me in? Just because I did something nice. But you can't do that, Himuro. You can't lift a finger that's why you're angry at me. Because you don't have any power that I have. You're just wingman so just shut up."

"You'll soon see the consequences of your actions today, Kise. I promise you that."

"Woah! What the h—" a guy said as he was about to enter the men's room. He accidentally bumped into Kuroko because he did not notice the light blue-haired guy standing by the door.

Kise and Himuro stopped talking.

"It's fine," Kuroko said. He entered the men's room along with the stranger. He saw Kise and Himuro washing their hands.

"Yo, Kurokocchi," Kise said.

He just nodded at the two and then went about his business. He secretly looked at the two as they exited the men's room.

He wondered what the two guys were arguing about. He knew there was bad blood between the two starting in high school because of Murasakibara. But they were adults now. Can't they just forgive each other now?

* * *

Meanwhile, Aomine and Kagami were the only two left at the table after they noticed that Kuroko was no longer with them.

"So, why are you here?" Aomine asked Kagami.

Kagami drank his beer first. "I'm here on vacation." He decided not to tell Aomine and Kuroko anything. Himuro told him that Aomine was a cop. Although it seemed like a good idea at first, he still could not trust Aomine that much to let him in on their secret about Alex's disappearance. He also could not confide in Kuroko since he was with Aomine. "How about you, it seems like you and Kuroko are staying together temporarily?"

Aomine smiled. "Tetsu and I are pretty close. We may decide to live together later. That's just to save costs and stuff since I have a place enough for two."

Kagami just nodded. What Aomine said was a bit puzzling. He knew Aomine and Kuroko were close because of basketball back in middle school. But they were also rivals in high school. They probably got closer after high school then if they could live together now. He also saw that the two looked at each other often.

Yes, he admit that he was looking at Kuroko most of the time. It was just that they had not seen each other for a long time and he wanted a moment to just talk and catch up. But since this was a drinking party, he really could not ask some of the questions that he had in mind. Like if he already had a girlfriend or how he felt knowing that he was engaged already. Was he envious? Was he jealous? But he said congratulations so maybe he did mean it despite his poker face.

"Tetsu and I, were a team now. It seems like you and Himuro got closer, too. Am I wrong?" Aomine said.

"Y-yeah. We are. We are." Kagami drank the remainder of the beer in his glass in one gulp.

* * *

[**A/N:** _Wow. This is already the seventh chapter. I did not imagine this to stay this long and to be read by many. But seeing the 2000+ views makes me happy and inspired in writing some more. Minna arigatou! _

_You may or may not be surprised by the potential pairings and bromance that is happening this chapter. I seriously did not initially intend for any of this to happen. They just came naturally as the story progressed. I am innocent. Lol._

_So far, I'm glad that the story is progressing at the pace that I wanted. There will be more to come. Sigh. I wanted a novellete and here it is turning slowly into a novel. Dang. But still all is good since you guys still like it. ^_^_

_Please send me reviews or pm about Keep Close. I'm looking forward to knowing what you think about this baby. _

_See you next week!_

_P.S. Will edit later after some good breakfast and some Lee Min Hot. Hahahaha._]


	8. Chapter 8 It's not just you

**-Keep Close**-

**Summary:** Kuroko and Aomine are struggling with their feelings as they look for Yuki and Kise cuts in. Kagami and Himuro also deal with their own issues.

**Warning:** AoKuro moments. Kagami x Himuro bromance. Conflict! Conflict!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. ^_^

* * *

**-Chapter Eight: It's not just you-**

"Sorry, I need to go to the toilet for a while," Aomine said as he stood up from his seat.

Kuroko watched him leave. He turned back to Kise and saw that the guy was smiling as he was also watching Aomine walk away.

They were still at the bar and were drinking. Kagami and Himuro had already left since Himuro was already drunk. Kagami had to half-carry him outside.

The smile disappeared from Kise's face when Aomine was out of sight. It was just him and the blond-haired guy. Kise now looked serious. It made Kuroko nervous all of a sudden. This was the first time that he saw Kise with that expression outside of the court.

"Ne, Kurokocchi."

"Yes?" He took a sip of his beer.

Kise was staring back at him with arms crossed. "Do you like Aominecchi?"

Kuroko nearly choked on his beer. He put the glass down on the table and then slowly calmed himself. _What did Kise just ask him?_ His heart suddenly beat faster as he looked at Kise. He was staring back at him with those serious eyes.

"What are you talking about? Of course I like Aomine. We're g-good friends," he said.

Kise smiled one-sidedly. "I _like_ Aominecchi. To be exact, I want him," Kise said without batting an eye lash.

Kuroko was dumbstruck. He did not know what to say to Kise. What he said took him off-guard. He just stared at Kise for a while before Kise spoke again.

"I want Aominecchi to spend more time with me just like before," Kise said. Kuroko remembered Kise and Aomine were always playing together back in middle school. "I want him to only look at me."

"What are you—"

"I'm telling you to keep away from Aominecchi. I don't want you with him. He's mine. And I'm going to make sure that it stays that way," Kise said.

Kuroko suddenly felt a wave of resentment towards Kise. He balled his hands into fists as they were hidden under the table, He stared at Kise with an equal intensity. But he said nothing.

What could he say? That Aomine was his? How could he? They weren't in a relationship despite those heated moments. It was just him being lonely and Aomine helping him ease his loneliness. There was no other meaning to it. And besides, wasn't he in a relationship with someone else? But why does he feel his chest tightening at the thought of Aomine being with Kise? What does it mean?

"Aomine and I... We're not—"

"I'm glad you understand, Kurokocchi." Kise smiled at him as if nothing happened. That was when Aomine sat back at their table.

Aomine noticed the slight change in Kuroko's mood and looked worriedly at him. "Tetsu, are you okay? Are you drunk already?"

Kuroko glanced at Kise first before answering Aomine. He shook his head. "I'm fine."

Right at that moment, he wanted to grab Aomine and leave. But he didn't. He had no right to. If anything else, Aomine deserved to be happy. And if Kise would be able to do that, like how Aomine was smiling when Kise and him played before, then he had no right to object. He was only using Aomine after all.

He bit his inner lip and tried to hide the hurt that was starting to throb in his chest.

* * *

Kagami laid the drunk Himuro on the bed. He took off the guy's shoes. He sat beside him on the bed and tried his best in removing his jacket since the guy tossed in his drunken stupor.

Kagami was about to stand up from the bed when Himuro held his hand. "Taiga..."

He turned around to face Himuro and saw that his eyes were looking at him with a sad expression on his face. He felt Himuro's warm hands against his as it touched the ring on his finger. He sat back beside Himuro.

Himuro sat up and embraced him.

"Taiga, what are we to each other?"

Kagami's heart ached. Yes, that was the question that had always bothered him since Himuro said he did not want to be brothers anymore. Were they friends? He wasn't so sure. It always felt like they were more than friends and more than brothers all this time.

He touched Himuro's hair and caressed it. It was shorter now just like when they were kids. He preferred it that way.

"We're not—we're not brothers anymore. So we're friends, right?" Himuro said.

"Yes, Tatsuya, we're friends," he said as his heart ached.

He had buried it in his heart. He thought he was able to forget and move on when he met his fiancee Paula. But he hadn't forgotten about Himuro after all. These deep feelings of attachment and longing were still there after all.

"I want to be with Taiga forever. I wish we won't be separated ever again unlike before."

"Yeah, I wish..."

But it was not the wishes that came true. It was the choices that they made that separated them from each other. There were choices beyond their control when they were young that separated them. And it was his dream that separated them after high school. And now, after they find Alex, he knew that they would undoubtably separate. It was decided upon silently. But it seemed that their hearts resented the fact that they have their own separate lives now. And that nothing was going to change.

Himuro's embrace tightened. "Always stay beside me, Taiga. Don't leave me again."

"Yeah," he lied in a soft voice.

Himuro fell asleep. His breathing became more relaxed. Kagami carefully laid him down on the bed. He cupped Himuro's peaceful, sleeping face and smiled sadly.

It felt like a cold hand was squeezing his heart while he looked at Himuro. He sighed.

He was not good enough. He was not strong enough to protect both of them. Not at their current situation.

All he was left with were his lies. If it would save them from getting hurt any further and falling any deeper into despair, then he will continue to lie about what he felt. Even if Himuro begged, he had to turn a blind eye. It was the best way to protect Himuro.

* * *

Kuroko got drunk. Aomine had to give him a piggy-back ride up to his apartment since the blue-haired guy was no longer able to walk straight.

When they were finally inside the apartment, Kuroko held on the lapels of his trench coat and pulled him closer. The next thing he knew, Kuroko's lips were on his.

His lips were passionate and searching. Aomine felt Kuroko's urgency. It was as if he was afraid that Aomine would disappear in a second that's why he was holding on to him so tightly.

"Wait, Tetsu," he said after holding Kuroko's wrists and pulling away from his grasps.

Tears streaked from Kuroko's eyes. "I'm sorry."

Aomine was about to say something when Kuroko ran to Aomine's bedroom and locked it.

"Tetsu! Tetsu! Open the door, Tetsu." Aomine said as he banged at the door with his fist.

Kuroko did not answer.

He heard his cell phone ring. He answered it when he saw that it was Kise calling.

"Yes?" he said.

"Is this the blond guy's friend?" a stranger's voice said.

Aomine's brows furrowed. Why would a stranger call him using Kise's cell phone?

"Who are you? Where's Kise?"

"The guy's dead drunk here at the bar. I'm the manager. We're closing so I just tried the first number on the speed dial. Can you go ahead and pick him up?"

"Y-yeah." He stared at the still closed door of his bedroom. "I'll be right there." He ended the call and put his cell phone back in his pocket. He banged the door once more. "Tetsu, please open up. I want to talk to you before I leave."

There was no answer.

"Okay, let's talk when you've calmed down. I'll be right back."

He was about to open the door to go outside when he heard the bedroom door open. He looked back and saw Kuroko.

"D-Daiki..."

"Tetsu, what's wrong?" He walked back towards Kuroko and stood in front of him. "What's wrong?" He wiped away the tears that were streaming down Kuroko's eyes with his hands.

"Daiki, I'm so confused right now."

"What are you so confused about?"

"I-I don't know what I'm feeling."

"Is that why you're crying? Is this about Yuki?"

"Y-yes," Kuroko said weakly. He was about to say something more but stopped himself.

Aomine felt his heart ache. He did not want to hear anymore if it was about Kuroko's love for Yuki. He did not want to hear any of it.

He patted Kuroko's head. "We'll find her. Don't you worry."

"I just—I just feel... About Yuki... I think I..." Kuroko lowered his head. It seemed that it was hard for him to get everything out of his chest.

Was he struggling because he was missing Yuki so much? It made Aomine's chest hurt like he was suffocating. He had to leave.

"Let's talk about it when I get back, okay?" He turned around and headed for the door.

"Where—where are you going?"

He did not dare face Kuroko anymore. It was the alcohol. It was making him emotionally weak. He did not have much control over his emotions now. He had to leave. It hurt so much seeing Kuroko like that. It made him want to cry.

"To Kise. He needs me right now." He was about to walk to the door when he felt Kuroko's hands take hold of his trench coat.

"Don't go. Please don't go," Kuroko said.

He took a deep breath. He needed to control himself. Unless it was Kuroko who asked, he would not embrace him anymore. He did not want Kuroko to cry because of guilt. It was not fair to the guy. That was why he was trying to avoid being intimate with him for even just a second. He did not want to hurt Kuroko.

"I need to go. Kise is waiting for me," Aomine said.

"No!"

He turned around and faced Kuroko. It surprised him that Kuroko raised his voice. It was the first time that he heard the guy raise his voice like that.

"T-Tetsu?"

Kuroko embraced him tightly. Aomine was not able to move. "Don't go. I won't let you."

"What are you doing, Tetsu?"

"Please hold me, Daiki. I want you to kiss me and hold me. I want you. Right now."

Kuroko looked up at him with passionate eyes. He could not resist those light blue eyes. He was taken in the moment Kuroko said those words.

He lowered his head and gave Kuroko a passionate kiss.

Aomine felt Kuroko's hand inside his shirt. It was the first time that the guy took the initiative. His hand lowered down and traced his abdominal muscles down to his belt. Kuroko slowly removed it from his waist. He felt his hand move inside his pants and he knew that there was no leaving his apartment tonight.

* * *

Kise knew that Aomine would not come. Pretending to be dead drunk and asking the manager of the bar to call him was no good. It was all Kuroko's fault.

He balled his hands into fists and banged it on the counter top.

The bar was nearly empty save from the few employees that were cleaning.

Kise stood up and kicked the nearest chair his foot could reach. The employees just watched silently. They did not reprimand him.

Several men in dark suits went inside the bar. Kise faced them with a furious expression on his face.

"What do you want?" Kise said.

* * *

[A/N: Hontou ni gomen nasai. Sorry for the short chapter. Berry-tan is sick right now. My fever's been on/off for a week now. And I still need to go to work everyday despite that. T_T

I wish to say more but I'm too tired and sick to move much right now. I will edit this after I'm a bit better.

I hope to get better and post something longer next week. Let's cross our fingers.

Thank you for everyone's support. Minna arigatou.]


	9. Chapter 9 Torn

**-Keep Close**-

**Summary:** Kuroko and Aomine are struggling with their feelings as they look for Yuki. The other characters also deal with their own issues.

**Warning:** AoKuro moments. Kagami x Himuro bromance. Conflict! Conflict! OOC tags for some characters (for the sake of my story :P).

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. ^_^

* * *

**-Chapter Nine: Torn-**

Kuroko and Aomine sat while facing each other at the table. They were eating breakfast with both their heads pounding from the hangover.

Kuroko silently ate. His head was aching but so were his hips. His cheeks grew hot at the thought of why his hips were aching. He secretly glanced at Aomine and saw that the guy was not eating but was looking at him.

"Tetsu..."

"Yes?" He put down on the table the bowl of rice that he was holding. He raised his head and faced Aomine though he was still chewing his food.

"I want us to be always together like this," Aomine said.

Kuroko's cheeks grew hotter with every second that Aomine's eyes were on him.

"M-me, too," he said in a low voice.

That made Aomine smile from ear to ear. He happily ate his food. "So would you like to live here with me?"

Kuroko smiled. He was about to say yes when he remembered where he lived and why he lived there. The smile disappeared from his face and he layed down his chopsticks on the table.

"Tetsu?" Aomine had a worried look on his face. "I'm sorry if that was too presumptious of me. Never mind what I said. Just forget about it."

"No," he said.

"What do you mean, Tetsu?"

"I-I can't. I'm sorry, Daiki. I don't think I can do this anymore." Kuroko's chest was tightening. He put his hand on his chest.

Aomine stood up and went to him. "Are you okay, Tetsu?"

Kuroko shook his head. "No, I'm not okay." He was torn. The guilt and the conflicting emotions were swirling together inside him. There was his duty to Yuki. But the feelings that took over him last night was also getting stronger and stronger.

"Do you want to rest? Just finish you breakfast later." Aomine helped him stand up from his chair and led him to the bedroom. He helped Kuroko lay down on the bed.

Aomine was about to turn and leave the room when Kuroko held his hand. He turned around and looked searchingly at the blue-haired guy.

"Daiki, please don't leave me."

Aomine sat beside Kuroko on the bed and cupped his face with his free hand. He smiled at him. "I will never. Now take a rest." Aomine was about to stand up but Kuroko pulled him back. "Tetsu?"

Kuroko sat up on the bed and gave Aomine a gentle kiss. Then he lowered his head. He felt his cheeks were blazing red now.

"Tetsu?" Aomine held his chin and raised his face to so that they were looking closely at each other.

Kuroko did not want Aomine to leave him. He felt the unstoppable urge to hold him close and never let go. He wanted to touch Aomine, to kiss him and to be embraced by him.

Tears fell down from his eyes. He felt so happy right now because Aomine was with him. But the happiness that he felt was also because there was only the two of them. And that led to more guilt because they were only together because Yuki was not there with him.

How selfish could he get?

Aomine looked alarmed at the sight of his tears. He wiped them away but Kuroko still continued to cry.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"What are you sorry for?" Aomine asked.

"I just—I just feel so happy right now. Is that wrong?" he answered.

"It's—"

"Yuki... She's not here and I'm so happy. I'm the worst person ever," he said.

Aomine embraced him and patted his back to make him calm down. "You're not the worst, Tetsu. I am."

Kuroko lightly pushed Aomine away to look into his eyes. What did he mean?

"Daiki..."

Aomine hesitated for a second but opened his mouth to speak after a while. "If you say you're the worst, then what does it make me? You said Yuki is gone and you are happy. But I'm the one who is happier that she's gone. I'm the worst person in this world to rejoice in having you by my side because your girlfriend disappeared." He lowered his head, unable to look at Kuroko.

It was Kuroko's turn to hold Aomine's chin up until their gaze met each other. He smiled, able to understand the guy's feelings. So they were feeling the same after all. But what did it all mean?

His heart skipped a beat when he realized how warm Aomine's skin was to his touch. His pulse quickened at the sight of Aomine's slightly opened lips. He gulped before speaking. "Daiki... Daiki, I—I want you."

Aomine held the hand that was on his chin. "No, Tetsu. I don't want to hear just that. Please. Please tell me what you really feel."

Kuroko tried to look away but Aomine stopped him with cupping his face.

How can he? He was afraid of his own feelings, of his own selfishness. He was afraid that he would also turn Aomine away because of his feelings. So how can he?

"No. I—I only want Daiki," he said.

Aomine stood up from the bed and turned his back on him. He sighed. "I will let you come to terms with your feelings, Tetsu. Take the day off. I will call your school. Let's talk again when I get back," Aomine said.

He watched the guy take out his coat from the closet and leave the bedroom.

Kuroko cried because of guilt. He did it again. He had, once again, managed to turn away the one that he loved.

* * *

"Yo!" Kise said as soon as he saw Aomine enter the fastfood chain.

They were at Maji Burger. There was one near the police headquarters so they decided to meet there. It was sort of a habit for both of them. They would sometimes meet in that place whenever Kise was in the area.

Aomine called Kise up and apologized for not picking him up. Kise said that it was okay but Aomine still felt bad because he had to lie as an excuse. He could never tell anyone from the Generation of Miracles about what was happening between him and Kuroko. Never.

He invited Kise for a quick lunch at Maji burger to make up for the guy. He was a bit busy but he was able to squeeze in his appointment with Kise for lunch.

"How are you feeling?" Kise asked.

They both sat facing each other at the table after they got their food.

"How are _you_ feeling," he asked back to Kise.

Kise chuckled. "My head's killing me, of course. I'm no superman. Just a super pilot."

Aomine shook his head while smiling at the guy. "That makes me the super police then. Idiot."

They started eating their lunch quietly. They started talking again after eating.

"So how was Kuroko?" Kise said.

"He took the day off. He's really bad with alcohol," Aomine said.

Kise nodded. "Do you like him, Aominecchi?"

"What?" He wished he misheard Kise but he didn't. Did the blond guy know about them already? Were they found out?

Kise put his chin on his palm as his elbow rested on the table. He looked meaningfully at Aomine. "Please don't get too close with Kurokocchi, Aominecchi."

"Why do you say that? Tetsu and I are friends."

Kise smiled meaningfully. "Tetsu and I are friends, too. But you should not get too close to him. He belongs to someone else already."

"I'm telling you, you're mistaken. There's nothing going on between me and Tetsu." Of course he lied. He would never tell the truth. At least not now. He would never put Kuroko in a bad position just to defend himself.

Kise smiled again, this time it was a one-sided smile. "I would have taken him for my own had I found him sooner than you, Aominecchi. But Kurokocchi already has a girlfriend, doesn't he? Even though she's probably the one you're looking for right now. But why are you going to such great lengths as to living together? Is there something more that you're not telling me?"

How did he know? Aomine's heart raced at the thought of their secrets getting exposed by Kise. It was surprising how Kise knew all that even though they only met and talked about Kuroko a few times. It sounded as if he knew more than what he was letting on. But how did he? Did Kuroko already tell him? That's impossible...

Aomine shook his head. He must not doubt Kuroko right now. Maybe it was his fault. Maybe he was being too obvious about it.

Kise leaned back on his seat and sighed. "I'm just telling you as a friend, Aominecchi. I don't want you to get hurt that's why I'm telling you not to get too close to Kurokocchi. If you say that you're friends, then stay that way or else... I'm sure you know the consequences once Kuroko's missing person turns up. How guilty and hurt would Kurokocchi be?"

Kise's words ate at Aomine. The guy was right. He was hurting Kuroko by pressuring him to reveal his feelings. He should not have said those things this morning. It was wrong of him to demand for something that he had no right to from the beginning. Kuroko's feelings for Yuki were strong that's why he only answered because of his loneliness. He was so stupid to think that Kuroko would answer differently later. Kuroko's heart was for Yuki. He had no place there. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

Kise watched Aomine's figure getting farther away as he rode a taxi from the police headquarters. He took out his cell phone when he heard it ringing. He answered the call the moment he saw who was calling.

"Hello?" he said.

"How was is, Ryou-onii-sama?" a sweet voice said from the other line.

Kise bit his inner lip before answering. "It was good. It looks like I had him convinced."

The person on the other line laughed. "You did well, Onii-sama. You did well."

"So am I free to do what I want now?"

The person on the other line laughed again. "Ba—ka. You're job is to do what I ask you to do, Onii-sama. You are not allowed to do what you want. Mimicking is your specialty, right? So all you have to do is mimic what I do and follow along obediently. Ne, Onii-sama," the person said in a sweet voice. The person's tone was like how people would talk to a child. It was grating on his nerves.

"Yes," he said. His shoulders were down and he felt the energy drain out of his body all of a sudden. It was too much to hope for—freedom. It was something that he would never have nor will ever taste. All he could ever do was copy and pretend that those things were his.

Yes, that person on the other line was right. He just needed to copy like he always did since he was little. He had nothing of his own and never will have any. He was nothing but just a copy.

"That's why I love you, Onii-sama. You always do what I want." He did not say anything. "Ne, Onii-sama. I want you to continue with the plan. Remember, if you fail, you already know what will happen to your most precious person, right?"

"Why? Why him? I thought you also—" He could not help raising his voice. Even the taxi driver glanced at him from the rearview mirror. He ignored the driver though.

"Shut up! Don't speak to me like that. You are so mean, Onii-sama. You make me want to cry." There were sobbing sounds from the other line.

"I'm—I'm sorry. I'm very sorry," he said.

"Hmp. As long as you follow what I tell you to do, I won't do something that will make us both cry, Onii-sama. You know, I will really cry if you fail because I also don't want to hurt your precious person. But what can I do? If you fail, it's going to be game over for both of you, Onii-sama. Even I can't stop that from happening. I'm only thinking about your happiness, Onii-sama."

_You demon_, he thought as the line got disconnected.

He wanted to throw his cell phone away and just take off someplace far. But he knew that he could not run far. That person will find him and then everyone he ever held dear would be in danger.

He received an email right after the call. He was sure that it was from the caller.

It was an email of a photo of a familiar redhead. The message said, "I want this person." There was a smiley face at the end.

Kise clutched his cell phone so tightly that it dug into his palm. He ignored the pain. The different emotions he felt inside his heart were greater than the pain in his hand.

* * *

Aomine went home late. He had expected Kuroko to be already asleep when he got home. But Kuroko was still awake.

"Daiki, I already know the answer that I will give you," Kuroko said to him as he removed his shoes in the doorway.

"There's no need, Tetsu," he said. He was set on not making Kuroko suffer any longer. He will never push his feelings towards the guy. He would never pressure him again.

"W-why?"

"Just forget about this morning, okay? Forget that anything ever happened. I don't want to hear your answer anymore," he said.

"But—"

"Forget about our conversation this morning. I'm sorry. It was my mistake for pushing you too hard." Although every word that he was saying hurt him, he did not stop saying them. It was needed if he wanted to stop hurting Kuroko. He did not want him to feel guilty. It was never his intention.

"But I—I..." Kuroko could not continue speaking. The tears were already flowing from his eyes.

Aomine embraced him and patted his back. "I understand what you are feeling now, Tetsu. There's no need to push youself just for my sake. I'm okay. I accept that you want me because you're lonely."

"It's not like that—"

"You don't need to lie, Tetsu. I understand what you feel. Trust me."

"Daiki..."

"Hush now, Tetsu. I'm here for you no matter what. I won't push you anymore but I swear to stay beside you forever as your friend."

Kuroko looked at him with his usual poker face. His lips were slightly open as if to say something but he did not. He just stood there and watched Aomine enter the bedroom.

Aomine shut the door behind him. He leaned on it as if feeling the energy drain from his body. It took a lot of courage to say those things to Kuroko. It took a lot of self-control not to grab him and embrace him as he stood there.

He must not waver. He will never reveal the feelings that he had kept inside his heart. It was all that he could do not to hurt Kuroko.

* * *

It was early morning when several men in dark suits came to Himuro's house. It was Kagami that answered the door. He was surprised by how the men looked formidable but were very respectful towards him and Himuro.

Himuro was sitting on the single seater sofa in the living room as the men in dark suits kneeled down in front of him.

Kagami just stood beside Himuro and watched the whole thing. He was not impressed. In fact, he hated how they were prostrating themselves in front of Himuro. But Kagami knew that it could not be helped.

Himuro was part of _that _family. He held no power but he was still an important figure-head. Despite that fact, Himuro was not able to ask for help to retrieve Alex because it could be the enemy family that had held her. If things were not handled silently, personally, it may cause a feud and he would be blamed for it.

Kagami gritted his teeth. He hated how powerless he was in these situations. He hated how he can't be of much help to Himuro during these times.

"Tatsuya-sama, please return with us," the leader of the group said. He was the one who kneeled nearest to Himuro.

Himuro looked away, "I won't. I still have business here in Tokyo. I will not go home until I'm done here," he said.

Why didn't Himuro ask help from his family? It was his pride, Kagami thought. Himuro did not like being part of the family. He hated being bound by the rules that were taught to him since childhood. Himuro always wanted freedom and independence that's why he chose to live separately from his family. It was one of the things that he admired in the guy. He was always aiming to be the same.

"The master is asking what is keeping you here, Tatsuya-sama. He wants us to tell you that he would take care of it so that you can come home."

"No, I don't want to go home, Hanai-san," Himuro said. "Tell my father that."

"But Tatsuya-sama, the master instructed us to tell you that the engagement preparations are ready. You would need to go home for the ceremony. You're fiancee is waiting for you," the man called Hanai said.

Himuro looked at Hanai with angry eyes. He stood up from his chair.

"I will not go home. And tell my father that I don't want to get engaged to that woman. Never." Himuro stormed out of the living room and into his bedroom, banging the door in the process.

"Tatsuya..." Kagami called out to him, worried about his usually calm friend.

Kagami never saw Himuro's fiancee. But they had been promised to each other and had been informally engaged since they were little. It was something that Himuro had managed to ignore and shake off for a long time. But now that they were older and of marrying age, the pressure had been great for Himuro to marry. It was something about merging two families together to ensure a more successful business.

He turned to Hanai and the rest of his men. "I would ask you to leave, Hanai-san. Tatsuya is no longer in the mood to talk," he said.

The men stood up from the floor. "We will come back in a few days time, Kagami-sama. Please tell –Tatsuya-sama. And if he needs us, we are willing to help him just to make him go home faster," Hanai said.

Kagami saw them off. He gritted his teeth as their cars drove away from Himuro's house.

He also wanted to get Alex back as soon as possible. But he also would never ask for Hanai's help just like Himuro. He was torn. Maybe Hanai and the others can easily locate Alex but he also did not want to let go of Himuro. But if they find Alex, Himuro would surely have no reason to stay in Tokyo and go home. He would surely get engaged by then.

He hated the idea of Himuro going home. He hated the fact that they would be separated after all these years. But what can he do? He could not let Alex be held hostage any longer either.

He balled his hands into fists. What can he do? He was so torn between getting Alex back and not letting Himuro go.

"Taiga..."

Kagami turned around and saw Himuro standing in the hallway. He was holding his cell phone in his hand.

"What is it, Tatsuya?"

"It's basketball." He looked like he was going to smile but stopped himself in the end.

"What?"

"We need to win in a basketball game to save Alex," Himuro said.

* * *

It was late in the evening when Aomine received a message on his cell phone. The message included an address and a time that he needed to go there. It was from Kai, the man who would let them play in the basketball game held by the Black Ring.

He would need to convince him first that they are good enough to be pawns in the illegal gambling. He can do it. He will surely expose the Ring for what they truly are and discover who the leader is.

He sat up on the bed after reading the message while holding his phone tightly. Kuroko woke up because of his sudden movement.

"Daiki?" Kuroko said as he wiped the sleep off his eyes. He also sat up from the bed and looked at his cell phone. "What is it?"

"It's our chance to get closer to finding Yuki. Now we can definitely play," he said with each word kiling him as a man but encouring him as a police officer. He gritted his teeth.

Now what would Kuroko do once they find Yuki?

Will Kuroko leave him? His heart ached as he turned to Kuroko.

He saw the guy's eyes were downcast now. He was probably thinking of the missing Yuki right now.

Aomine put his hand on Kuroko's head. The guy looked up at him. "Don't worry, Tetsu, we will surely find Yuki."

Kuroko smiled but the smile did not reach his eyes. "Thank you, Daiki."

* * *

_[__**A/N:**__ I'm still sick. T_T But I was able to write the normal length for this chapter. Yokatta!_

_I only have one day off so everything has been hectic. I am working but I am also busy writing my own novels. (Yes, I am an amateur novelist.)_

_I know there were people that had been surprised about how the story turned out, especially the characters. But I have always liked stories involving the mafia. But I do not like violence in my novels not unless it is needed. But I'm a romance writer first and foremost. So this is romance rather than action. (Please don't expect a lot of action especially in sports. I am bad in sports. T_T I may need to study a lot in basketball.)_

_I did not edit the previous chapter because I am so busy. Hontou ni gomen nasai._

_As always, tell me what you think using a review or a pm. I will try my best to answer your questions and comments as soon as I can. ^_^_

_P.S. Has anyone watched the Japanese drama Sprout? It's good. And I can't help but think about 'yaoi' thoughts on the two male leads despite the fact that they are just bestfriends and have girlfriends already. Kyaa~ (fangirl mode). They are just too cute._

_P.P.S. I'm posting this a day early because my internet connection expires tomorrow. I can never be too sure about it. I will be back online to post a new chapter next week since I am only using a mobile internet plan.]_


	10. Chapter 10 A lie just for you 1

**-Keep Close**-

**Summary:** Kuroko and Aomine meet people from the past to ask for help.

**Warning:** Conflict! Conflict! OOC tags for some characters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to Kuroko no Baske. All rights go to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. ^_^

* * *

**-Chapter Ten: A lie just for you (1)-**

Aomine watched as the guy with a hoodie over his head climb the stairs out of the train station. The guy was Kai. He sent a message to Aomine to meet at the train station in Shibuya. He remembered the scene when he first made contact.

In a crowded train platform, Kai approached him from the back. He looked like any normal guy, with his black hoodie and a black Mix Style headphone over his ear. From a stranger's point of view, Kai was listening to music, but he wasn't. What he was calmly listening for were the people around him.

"Don't look back. Put your hands outside of your pockets," he heard a low, male voice say.

Aomine obeyed and just stood there at the platform along with the other people waiting for the train. He just looked ahead as if not noticing that Kai was already standing behind him. It was crowded so they did not look a tad suspicious.

"How long have you played?" Kai asked.

"Since middle school," he answered.

"How about your team? Are they the same?"

"Yes." He took a deep breath.

"Are you okay with not knowing who you're opponents are?"

"Yes," he said with confidence. He needed to make Kai approve them. But he was not sure of what to do.

"How about gambling?"

"Yes."

There was a long pause before Kai spoke again. "I will send you a message about the time and place. All you just need to do is wait."

It was already fifteen minutes since Kai left. Aomine received a message from his cell phone from Matsuba. They apparently tried to tail Kai outside of the station but lost him.

He gritted his teeth and turned away from the platform after sending a message to Matsuba that he would not be coming back to the office until tomorrow. He had some things to do. If he wanted the plan to succeed, then he must not fail now.

* * *

Aomine cleared his throat before speaking. He looked around at the people in front of him and knew that he must not fail. He gathered all of this courage to speak just for the sake of the plan and especially or Kuroko.

The light blue-haired guy was standing on his right, holding a basketball. They were in a basketball court near Aomine's apartment building. It was the nearest meeting place he could think of for everyone to gather so he asked them to meet there.

"Good morning, everyone," he said in a clear voice. He have everyone a deep bow. Kuroko did the same thing.

The blond-haired Kise was sitting on a bench near Kuroko. He raised his right hand to say something. Everyone turned to him. "Is this your plan of a reunion, Aominecchi?"

"Yeah, why am I spending my day off here? My horoscope says something important will happen today if I meet an Aquarius," Midorima said while looking at Kuroko. He was working as a general surgeon in a famous hospital in Tokyo. Today was thankfully his day off so he was able to come at such short notice.

Aomine bowed his head again. "I'm sorry for taking everyone's time. But I'm the one who has something important to say. No, I have a favor to ask everyone."

It seemed like everyone was surprised by how deep Aomine bowed. He, the ever high and mighty Aomine Daiki never bowed to anyone just like that. Everyone knew that there must be a reason so they chose not to say anything until he said more of the situation.

"Dai-chan, would you like me to continue?" Momoi said. She was standing on his immediate left.

He shook his head and straightened his back. He cleared his throat again and stared from Kuroko to Kise on the bench to Midorima standing beside the bench to Murasakibara who was eating potato chips early in the morning while standing to Akashi who was calmly sitting on the next bench to Momoi beside him.

"I want everyone to play basketball with me once again," he said after filling his lungs with air.

"Eh?" was everyone's reply. Some were mildly surprised and the others were already expecting it, especially Akashi who he called first.

Momoi smiled. "Isnt' this great? I'm excited to see you guys play again," she said while clapping her hands.

Kuroko also bowed his head. "I also ask you this favor. Please play with us once more," he said.

Aomine put his hand on Kuroko's shoulder as the guy straightened his back.

"A favor, huh? Sure. If it were me, I wouldn't mind playing with you guys again," Kise said.

Midorima rubbed his chin with his fingers. "Play together, huh? That's not a bad idea. I guess this is the important thing that my horoscope is telling me."

"As long as you give me a lot of snacks once I go back home, I'd be okay with it, Mine-chin," Murasakibara said.

"Mukkun..." Momoi said with a slight smile of her face.

Everyone turned their gaze at the captain of their legendary Generation of Miracles, Akashi. He stared back with his polychromatic eyes and gave an abstract smile. "That sounds interesting."

"Yes!" Aomine said, forgetting that he was in front of everyone. When he suddenly realized it, he again straightened himself. "Sorry, I will now tell you the details." He told them about the scheduled practice games that they would have together. Everyone agreed.

Kise raised his hand again after a while. "Aominecchi, why are we playing and who are our opponents?"

Aomine glanced at Kuroko first before facing Kise. He again bowed his head in front of everyone. "I just want everyone to know that I have been wanting to do this for a long time. And now is the perfect time to see how far we've gone in basketball together as a team."

"Then why are we doing this?" Akashi asked. He had his arms calmly crossed in front of him.

"Actually—" It was Kuroko, but Aomine interrupted him at the nick of time.

"Actually, this is a secret operation involving a group that I am investigating. It seems that playing basketball with a strong team is the only way to get information. I am truly sorry for involving everyone," he said.

"And you're okay with this, Momoi-san?" Midorima asked Momoi.

She nodded and smiled. "I'm more thrilled since this involves Dai-chan's job. Anyways, what's a game without the challenge?"

"I agree with Momoi-sain," Kise said.

"And don't worry, Mukkun, I will make sure you get a lot of snacks later, okay?" Momoi said to Murasakibara.

"I will be willing to return the favor in any way," Aomine said.

He turned to Kuroko and saw that the guy was staring intently at him. His heart skipped a beat. Kuroko was probably wondering why he stopped him from revealing the truth about Yuki's involvement.

He had no intention of letting the others know. Especially not Kise. He already had his suspicions about the two of them. He did not want to add more firewood into the fire. He did not know what troubles Kise's knowledge may cause later but he was sure that the blond guy was not one to blab about it to others.

"Be prepared," Akashi said as he stood up from the bench.

"Pass me the ball, Kurokocchi," Kise said after standing up from the bench and running to the court. Kuroko obliged and passed it to him.

"Let's play three on three,"Akashi said to the guys. He turned to Momoi. "Please be the referree and scorer, Satsuki." Momoi nodded a yes and took out a whistle and a clipboard from her bag.

"It's me, Kurokocchi and Aominecchi," Kise declared as he grinned in front of Akashi and the others with his hands on his waist.

"Suit yourself. That won't change the fact that you will be beaten," Midorima said after he removed the tape on his left fingers.

"I won't let you down, Mine-chin," Murasakibara said after putting his unfinished snack on the bench.

Aomine felt his blood quicken. He was excited to stand in the same court with the Teiko guys again. It had been a long time. And now, he was sure that everyone had already matured enough to realize what they did best and what they did wrong back then.

He turned to Kuroko with a smile on his lips. He saw that the guy was doing the same thing.

"Let's win this, Daiki," Kuroko said as they walked inside the court.

"Ah..." he said as their knuckled touched.

* * *

Kagami and Himuro stood in front of the old Seirin team members and Aida Riko in the living room of Himuro's house.

It felt like a mini reunion minus Kuroko. And the only difference was that Murasakibara was present. The giant silently ate the snack that Himuro gave him as he sat on a single-seater sofa. The rest either sat on a chair or on the floor.

"So, what is it that you want to talk about?" Aida Riko said.

Kagami and Himuro looked at each other first before Kagami spoke as he turned towards his senpais. "Please play basketball with me and Himuro," he said while giving a deep bow.

"Eh?" Murasakibara said, with a piece of potato chip on his hand and half-way to his mouth. Everyone looked at him in surprise. He scratched his head and then just shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay with me as long as it's Muro-chin."

"Wait a minute, do you mean—" Koganei said.

"Yes, Koganei-san. I mean, in a match against a different team," Kagami said.

"We please ask for you help," Himuro said, also giving a deep bow to everyone.

"Okay. Okay. But why are we doing this?" Riko said.

"We made a gamble that we could not lose," Himuro said.

"A gamble? Oi, Kagami, are you in debt?" Hyuuga said with a slight smile on his lips.

Riko hit the side of Hyuuga's head since they were sitting together. "Of course not. Ne, Kagami-kun?" She looked at Kagami with 'say yes and you're dead' look.

"Please, lend us your strength," Kagami said, the desperation in his tone was evident.

However the others choose to interpreted it was up to them. But Riko stood up and went up to Kagami. She held his hand. "Don't worry, Kagami-kun. This Neechan will help you out of debt. Just be ready for the consequences," she said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Ne, minna?" She faced everyone.

The rest of the old Seirin team just looked at her and gulped. Murasakibara nonchalantly ate his potato chips, not sensing the dark mood that went over the others.

"But I'm busy with work, though," Koganei said as he raised his hand for attention.

"Are you sure, Koganei-kun?" Hyuuga and Riko both said to him.

Mitobe, who had always been silent turned to Koganei with an amused look. He was sitting near Murasakibara and was just quietly listening to everyone. He was a manager of a local restaurant in Shibuya.

Koganei was a writer and most of the time skipped off work while going to the Aida sports gym and would hang around Riko and Hyuuga who were both working there. Riko was a sports trainer while Hyuuga was the manager of the gym. It was a joint effort by the couple who would soon get married.

Koganei lowered his hand with his usual cat-like smile on his lips. He had no more reason to complain.

"It's decided then, we will play ball," Riko said.

"Eh, but what about Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara said.

Everyone fell silent in shock as they realized that they forgot about Kuroko. Kagami scratched his head.

"I will try to contact him later," Kagami said.

The rest of the group agreed. It would not be a reunion without Kuroko after all.

"But he probably won't be free though," Kagami heard Murasakibara say to Himuro in a low voice. No one else noticed.

"Why?" Himuro asked.

Murasakibara just shrugged his shoulders to answer.

* * *

Kise dialed a number on his cell phone as he walked towards the airport. He had a scheduled flight in two hours so he had to prepare.

"Yes, Onii-sama?" said the other voice on the line.

"It's confirmed. They're in," he said.

"Great job, Onii-sama. I knew I could trust you."

"I will be on a flight to London, do you want something?" It was not something that he asked because he wanted to but because it was necessary to inform the other person of his whereabouts despite the fact that he would still be tracked.

"Anything would be fine, Onii-sama. Thank you."

"Okay."

"Just continue playing the nice guy. I want to see what happens with my own two eyes. I'm sure this will be fun." The person on the other line laughed.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he said.

It meant that that person would be there during the game. It was something that he had never heard of but was not impossible. That person was a person of whims after all. It was all about what was fun irregardless of whoever pays the consequences.

Kise sighed as he put the phone in his pocket. Who was he fooling? Wasn't he one of the people who always paid for something he never did? Or rather, it was always him who suffered for the things he did without any choice.

* * *

[**A/N**: _Sorry guys, I'm taking a break from writing for now. Yeah, I know, a hiatus at this point is killing everyone, including me. But I can't help it. It's only for a week. T_T_

_Berry-tan had an accident yesterday. So my fingers were cut and it's kind of hard to type on the key board with only several fingers. I had to drastically cut a nail (T_T) for faster recovery. And I have been in constant fever these past few weeks that I have always been visiting my doctor. It seems that I have been sick for quiet a while now and it's not a good sign._

_I was in the middle of writing when it all happened. Gomen ne, minna. Hontou ni._

_I will take a rest now and have a new chapter in two weeks._]


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